There was a time when Haji Ghulam Rasool Khan’s hands told stories — of tradition, colour, and Kashmiri heritage — through the delicate swirls of Jamawar patchwork. But in 1998, a cruel twist of fate brought that to a halt.

A devastating accident in New Delhi left him bedridden and silent, his world narrowed to a single room in Srinagar. Yet from that stillness emerged something unexpected: a return to the very art that had once defined his childhood, now reborn with deeper meaning.

Confined to a room and cut off from the rhythm of everyday life, Khan could have let grief consume him. But instead, from that quiet space of stillness and pain, he reached back into the folds of his childhood — to a craft once learned, then forgotten.

Rediscovering forgotten craft

From within those four walls, Khan tirelessly honed his craft, transforming the traditional Jamawar patchwork art to a global stage, captivating customers worldwide with its intricate beauty.

“Every success comes at the cost of sacrifice, and for me, it was my leg,” says Khan, smiling warmly. “In 1989, I met with a motorcycle accident in Delhi. The doctors told me my leg would not recover. But I did recover, and during that period, I also learned the forgotten Jamawar patchwork art.”

700 Years, 700 craftsmen: The roots of a Kashmiri art that refuses to fade

The centuries-old Jamawar art of Kashmir, which dates back to the 14th century, endures as a vibrant emblem of the region’s cultural legacy and artisanal excellence.

Shaped by Persian artistic influences and elevated under the patronage of the Mughal emperors, Jamawar shawls are distinguished by their intricate paisley and floral motifs, rendered with remarkable precision on fine pashmina or silk. At the heart of this tradition is the painstaking Kani weaving technique—an exacting process involving the use of tiny wooden bobbins to craft elaborate, tapestry-like patterns.

Many, including Khan, trace the origins of Jamawar patchwork to the 14th century, when the revered Sufi saint Mir Syed Ali Hamadani (R.A.) journeyed from Iran to Kashmir. It is said he arrived with 700 master craftsmen, who made Amda Kadal in downtown Srinagar their home, quietly planting the seeds of........

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