The Sacred Threads of Kashmir

Amidst change and conflict, the ancient arts of Kashmir still carry a spiritual pulse that binds its people to their land, their history, and something far beyond themselves.

- Nazim Mushtaq

In the soft morning light of Baharabad, my hometown in Sumbal Bandipora, the sound of looms used to echo through the narrow lanes. There was a time when almost every house hummed with the rhythm of weaving.

Today, that sound has mostly faded. Only a few hands now carry the memory of the pashmina, the art that once kept our community alive, that once felt like a form of prayer.

Kashmir's art has always had a sacred weight. The valley has long been a meeting place of faiths, ideas, and stories, and all of them have found corners inside its crafts.