SRINAGAR, April 21 -- Mir Nawaz and Mir Waseem grew up to a rhythmic clatter of looms and the soft hum of radio broadcasts in their neighborhood. It was more than ambiance, a heritage! A neighborhood alive with creativity, where families wove carpets, embroidered Sozni, Ari, Jamawars, and world-famous Kani Pashmina Shawls, and passed down centuries-old skills like sacred stories.

But that harmony began to fade. As political unrest engulfed the region in the 1990s, Kashmir's renowned artisan sector-once celebrated across continents for its hand-knotted silk carpets and delicately woven pashminas-suffered a dramatic decline. Master weavers, once the pride of their communities, laid down their hooks and threads. Generations of skill were lo...