Who is Mohabat？
Imran, the fourth successor to the Kashmirian art of hand weaving, has been part of his family’s legacy for 114 years. To save this legacy from fading, Imran stopped his medical training and presented the art to the world through international trades and brand building.
Currently, Imran has studios and showrooms in five countries. Part of the income supported orphanages and schools in seven countries.
Mohabat silk carpets are handwoven with premium mulberry silk knot by knot. Local artisans usually spend years on one handmade silk carpet with high knot density.
Imran’s childhood was surrounded by weaving looms. At its prime, his father’s workshop had 600 artisans. With the development of industrialization, machine-woven products have gradually dominated the market and the workshop started shrinking to an eventual close, leaving the artisans in doubt of their expertise in modern times.
The biggest obstacle, however, is the lasting unrest in Kashmir, which isolates the region from outsiders. As a result, the continuation of the art in Kashmir is facing a lot of challenges, with very few young people willing to learn the craft.
In Kashmir, weaving a silk carpet by hands requires months or even years of intensive work. The high costs make it difficult for the products to receive proper appreciation and remuneration. Many artisans have turned away from the craft and decided to work on the farms instead. In order to once again assemble the experienced artisans and work out a management system, Imran did all he could to unite his family members and friends to visit the mountains together.
Most of these artisans living deep in the mountains have lived a long time without receiving any formal education, and are facing a range of hindrances in their daily lives. Specialists from the Mohabat team pay weekly visits to these artisans and listen to their stories, encourage them to rediscover their confidence and passion to their craft. The team also identify their hindrances and offer them relevant assistance, which includes supporting their children for education.
Mohabat — in the native tongue, it means ‘love’.
