President to Honour Two Kashmir Artisans With National Handloom Award
Srinagar, KNT: In a significant recognition for Kashmir’s centuries-old Kani shawl tradition, two master artisans from Budgam district have been selected for the National Handloom Award 2025, one of the country’s highest honours for excellence in the handloom sector.
The awardees, Manzoor Ahmad Hajam and Fayaz Ahmad Wani, both residents of Kanihama in the Magam area of Budgam, have been chosen in the weaving category for their craftsmanship in the iconic Chanddar Kani Shawl, a craft synonymous with Kashmir’s rich textile heritage.
President Droupadi Murmu will confer the awards during the National Handloom Day celebrations in New Delhi on August 7.
The recognition is being viewed as a major achievement for Jammu and Kashmir’s handloom sector and a tribute to the artisans of Kanihama, the village globally identified with the traditional Kani shawl weaving technique.
The Ministry of Textiles announced the recipients of the National Handloom Awards and Sant Kabir Handloom Awards on Tuesday, with the two artisans from Kashmir figuring among the 19 National Handloom Award winners selected from across the country. [KNT]
