Kashmiri woman entrepreneur on a way to revive lost art of 'Numdha' handicrafts

Srinagar, Oct 02 (ANI): Breaking stereotypes, a middle-class woman entrepreneur in Srinagar, Arifa Jan, has taken up a daunting task to revive the lost art of 'Numdha'. 'Numdha' is a traditional felted Kashmir carpet, made by rolling and pressing wool by the application of moisture. Until some years, Kashmiri drawing rooms were furnished with 'numdhas' in winters. However, the demand died down and exports declined in the past more than a decade. Since childhood, Jan had dreamt of venturing into business. Jan is working day and night to revive this art and her specialty is that instead of using local wool, she used 100 percent merino, a type of sheep prized for its wool quality. She also used dyes free of azo compounds, a chemical used in dyes for its vivid colors, so they wouldn't be harmful or bleed.