My 72-hour sojourn in Srinagar began with a warm welcome at Hotel Dar-Es-Salam by our hosts at Aadhyam Handwoven, a social enterprise of the Aditya Birla Group. Manish Saxena, business lead, and Vishesh Sharma, head of marketing and business development, invited us to experience the city through curated experiences that honour Kashmir’s craft heritage. After settling into my room with a view of the Nageen Lake, I set out for a papier mâché workshop. There, I met artisans Maqbool and Firdaus who had been running their studio for over 40 years after it had been passed down to them over three generations. They took me through the process, from recycling paper from used notebooks to moulding the paste and colouring the final product.
Seeing how paper could turn into furniture, trays and clutches was fascinating. It reminded me of the time I made a pen stand in my SUPW (Socially Useful Productive Work) class in 4th grade, which I still have as a token of my hard work. I had always been a DIY girl, making elaborate cards for friends, family and teachers on every occasion. “Where did all my creativity go?” I contemplated, looking at Maqbool and Firdaus using their hands with practised precision.
