Farooq Ahmad Mir
A Srinagar pashmina and kani shawl weaver who introduced calligraphy into kani weaving, honoured with the Padma Shri in 2025.
Farooq Ahmad Mir has spent his life at the loom, weaving the fine shawls Kashmir is famous for. In 2025 he was named for the Padma Shri in the field of art, from Jammu and Kashmir [1].
Born into the craft
Mir was born on 9 August 1953 in the Khaiwan area of Srinagar, into a family of weavers [2]. As the eldest son he had to help support his brothers and sisters, so he never went to school [2]. His own sons went to college and have returned to the craft, winning awards of their own for pashmina weaving [2].
New designs
Mir simplified parts of the weaving process and created new designs [2]. Most notably, he introduced Hindi, Urdu and Sanskrit calligraphy into kani weaving, the intricate technique in which patterns are woven with small wooden spools [2]. His work has provided a livelihood to many people [2].
He has received the National Award from the Ministry of Textiles (2007), the Sant Kabir Award (2014) and a state award from the Jammu and Kashmir government (2019) [2].
Sources
- [1] Padma Awards 2025: list of awardees — Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India. Accessed 11 October 2026.
- [2] Padma Awards 2025: citation for Farooq Ahmad Mir — Padma Awards, Government of India. Accessed 11 October 2026.
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