Kashmir’s traditional leather craft in decline

Kashmiri artisans are striving to keep the region’s traditional leather industry alive in an era of globalisation

Dating back to the Mughal era, Kashmir’s leather craftsmanship was renowned for high-quality products like shoes, bags, belts, and traditional items such as ‘Gurgabi’ – a type of Kashmiri leather shoe.

Artisan Ghulam Nabi expressed concerns to Independent Urdu over the dwindling market and the closure of leather factories in India, which has adversely affected their livelihood.