My artisans are my strength, says Neelofar
Srinagar, Jun 21: When the orders stopped coming, and the future of her work looked uncertain, Neelofar faced a choice many artisans know too well: give up or start over.
She chose the latter.
Years later, that decision has transformed not only her own life but also the lives of nearly 40 women who now earn a livelihood through the workshop she rebuilt from scratch.
Inside a modest workspace in Nawakadal, Srinagar, Neelofar carefully guides a hooked needle through fabric, creating intricate crewel and chain-stitch embroidery. It is a skill she learned as a child and later refined after marriage under the guidance of her father-in-law.
For years, embroidery was more than a craft; it was the family’s source of income. But difficult times arrived when work declined, and earnings became unpredictable.
“There was a period when everything slowed down,” Neelofar recalls. “The work wasn’t coming in as it used to, and sustaining the business became difficult.”
Many artisans facing similar circumstances have been forced to leave traditional crafts behind. Neelofar, however, was determined to continue.
With only a small amount of money available and few options left, she made a difficult decision. She sold her gold and invested the money in restarting the business.
It was a risk that could have gone either way.
Standing beside her throughout that journey was her husband, Reyaz Ahmad Bhat.
“My father used to do this work,” Reyaz says. “I would travel outside Kashmir, including places like Jammu, to sell our products. After my father’s death, I continued the work with my wife. At that time, we had very little money. Whatever gold we had, we invested it in the business. Today, Alhamdulillah, the work is going well.”
While Neelofar focused on production and training artisans, Reyaz took responsibility for marketing, customer relations, and expanding their reach beyond Kashmir. Together, they slowly rebuilt what had once seemed lost.
The effort paid off.
Today, the workshop provides employment and training opportunities to around 40 women, many of whom work from their homes while balancing household responsibilities. What started as a struggle to save a family business has grown into a source of livelihood for dozens of households.
For these women, the workshop offers more than income. It provides financial independence, confidence, and a chance to preserve a traditional Kashmiri craft that has been passed down through generations.
Neelofar says her journey is not just about her own success but about creating opportunities for other women artisans as well. “I want to grow together with the women who work with me. If the government extends support, I would like to connect many more artisans with this work and create opportunities for them,” she says.
For Neelofar, the women working alongside her are much more than employees.
“These artisans are my strength. They are my arms, my companions on this journey. Whatever we have achieved today, we have achieved together,” she says.
Neelofar believes that every piece she creates carries a story of resilience.
Her own story is one of persistence in refusing to let hardship define the future. It is a story of a woman who risked her savings, sold her jewellery, and placed her faith in her skills when circumstances offered no guarantees.
Today, as orders arrive from different parts of the country and abroad, the workshop stands as a reminder that traditional crafts survive not only because of heritage but because of the people willing to fight for them.
As her workshop continues to expand, Neelofar hopes to bring more women into the fold, helping them earn an income while preserving Kashmir’s rich embroidery tradition. Her vision is simple: to ensure that the growth of her enterprise becomes the growth of every woman who has stood beside her through the years.
And for Neelofar, every stitch is proof that sometimes rebuilding begins with letting go of something precious to create something even greater.
