19th century Pashmina shawl creates a flutter in J&K

A 19th century masterpiece Pashmina shawl — depicting the map and landmarks of the ancient Srinagar city — has brought cheers to the art lovers in the militancy-hit Kashmir valley.

Showcased by the Mehbooba Mufti-led Jammu and Kashmir government, the rare shawl is considered priceless given its intricate design and exquisite make.

There are only three such shawls in the world which were woven by the famous shawl artist Ghulam Ahmad Kaloo during the Dogra rule from 1819-1856. Two of the shawls are in Austria and a British Museum, and the third one is preserved in the SPS Museum of J&K government in Srinagar.

"It took Kaloo 37 years to make these exquisite shawls. The Maharaja of that time had given him Rs 300 for weaving this masterpiece," said Rabia Qureshi, curator of SPS Museum, Srinagar.

It is not a usual sized shawl. Experts said that it is a bigger shawl of the size of a wall hanging or table cloth, which could have been used as a decoration piece at that time.

Having a length of 201.5 cm and a width of 194.6 cm, the shawl is made of Pashmina with an interesting design depicting the map of Srinagar city complete with landmarks and important places in Persian characters.

"It is an antique piece. Each and everything has been made by thread and needle. Even names and landmarks of that time like Dal Lake, houseboats, names of bridges and even Hari Parbat fort has been made on it. It has all the details of Srinagar city," said Qureshi.

Mushtaq Ahmad Beigh, assistant director at J&K department of Archeology and Museums, said, "This rare shawl was transferred from Tosha Khana when the SPS Museum was established. Textile collection was the first to be shifted to the museum. And the first gallery was that of textile collections."

About the shawl

With a length of 201.5 cm and a width of 194.6 cm, the design of the pashmina shawl depicts the map of Srinagar city complete with landmarks in Persian characters.