Stitch of Royalty: The Timeless Legacy Of Kani Pashmina

Mili: Daughter

Sarala: Mother

Raksha Bandhan is not far away. It is a sweet and gentle reminder of the waves of festivities that are about to lash the shores of our inner selves and transport us to the realm of happiness.

Guests will be attending the house. Hence, preparation is a must. It's Sunday. Sarala and her daughter are busy dusting their house. 

An old picture caught Milli's eye. She asked Sarala: Mummy, one thing I have to admit is that my Mummy was more beautiful than me at my age, hai na, Mummy?

Sarala: Chup kar, complete the part I have assigned to you. Fast, we don’t have all day. 

Milli: Okay…chill. Ho jayega. And my dadi is the most beautiful of us. BTW, is this picture from Kashmir?

Sarala: Haan. I was too small back then. Kyun?

Milli: What was dadi wearing?

Sarala, after taking a look at the old picture, said, “Kashmiri Kani Pashmina”. 

Sarala: I do not have any idea about the Pashmina. However, I would love to know about the history of Kani Pashmina. Kuch batao nah.

Sarala: These sarees are a gift to humanity from the royal craftsmanship of the Kashmiri people. It is probably inspired by the world-class Pashmina Shwals. 

Milli: Do you have this saree with you? I would love to see it once. 

Sarala: No, beta. It's not in my house. Don’t know; I may have lost it. 

Kuch batau? I would love to have this regal Kani Pashmina craftsmanship, artwork in my wardrobe. 

Milli: (in a tone of excitement and pride) My mummy is a real saree connoisseur. I feel really proud. After all, everything that you have is mine. 

Sarala: I have faint memories. But I can guarantee you that the sarees looked and breathed royalty. It has a lot of purity and represent oriental exclusivity.

Milli: Why would I buy these sarees?

Sarala: You must have it in your wardrobe for several reasons. First, you are not just owning a beautiful, handwoven piece but also preserving the traditional Kashmiri craft. 

Milli: Yes, thats true; we are indeed blessed with many such traditions…in the whole of India. 

Sarala: Yes, its making process is indeed fascinating. Chal sunati hoon. 

Milli: Love to hear these tales from you a hundred times, Mumma.

Sarala: During the springtime, the local shepherds comb the sheep’s bodies to fetch the pashmina. 

They are taken to the loom. The history of these gorgeous sarees traces back to the 15th century…could you imagine?

Sarala: Just unbelievable. 

Sarala: The Sultan of the then Kashmir Zain-ul-abedin brought with him weavers from Persia who introduced new weaving techniques. 

Two complex wooden spools were used to weave these sarees. The Kanis. 

Milli: Bas, wohi se naam par gaya. Interesting indeed!

Sarala: Let's talk about the kani weaving technique. The speciality which makes them exclusive to the peak is that they were not woven by following any reference designs. 

Milli: No designs? What did they follow?

Sarala: The master of the team used to write down patterns in a musical tone. It's a code language, which the weavers have to decode and weave into their creations. 

Milli: It means a lot of passion and precision is being put into these sarees, ain’t it?

Sarala: Yes. The Kashmiri weaving became so famous that these sarees became a status symbol for European elite women. 

Milli: This is why our grandma was looking so special in that saree in this photo! Ma ek bat kahun?

Not every old piece is worthless. Some are worth millions. Such beautiful history came to my ears from the dusty corners of the house.