Boost to Srinagar carpet industry

A new loom made of plywood and iron has been brought out that could spark a renewed interest in the carpet-weaving industry in India, as it allows users to sit down while working.

The Indian Institute of Carpet Technology in Srinagar has launched this tool after it emerged that people were deterred from entering the sector, which requires crouching in one place for a long period of time, DNA India reports.

Now, carpet weavers are able to make use of chairs instead and one industry player Ali Muhammad has said that this new loom is "stronger and there are no problems now".

"[They] are much more comfortable to work with," he continued.

It is hoped that, in Jammu and Kashmir, some 40,000 old machines will be replaced by this more modern incarnation.

Another country looking to sustain its carpet heritage is Iran, where the Tehran Times recently reported that the Fars region style of carpet weaving has applied to be added to the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity list.

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