Union Culture and Tourism Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat on Sunday, 27 July 2026, highlighted the revival of Kashmir's traditional 'Vagu' mat craft, sharing the story of Srinagar-based artisan Ghulam Hussain and his daughter Tanjila, who have committed to breathing new life into this age-old weaving tradition. The post, shared in the context of Mann Ki Baat, drew attention to a grassroots effort to preserve an intangible cultural heritage of Jammu and Kashmir.

Context

The minister's post, written in Hindi, reflects on the power of skill and resolve: 'जब हुनर भी हो और कुछ करने का जज्बा भी हो, तो हर राह आसान हो जाती है' ('When there is skill and the spirit to do something, every path becomes easy'). He used this as a frame to introduce the story of Vagu, a traditional Kashmiri mat woven from sarkanda (reed grass) and paddy straw. The craft carries a lineage spanning several generations, rooted in the agrarian and artisan communities of the Kashmir Valley.

Shekhawat noted that Ghulam Hussain and his daughter Tanjila, both from Srinagar, have taken a collective resolve to revive the Vagu craft tradition. Their effort represents a family-led initiative to sustain a practice that risks fading in the face of modern alternatives.

Policy Backdrop

Mann Ki Baat, Prime Minister Narendra Modi's monthly radio address running since 2014, has consistently served as a platform to spotlight citizen-led cultural and entrepreneurial initiatives from across India. Episodes have repeatedly featured stories of regional handicraft revival, positioning ordinary artisans as national exemplars of self-reliance and cultural continuity.

The Ministry of Culture under Shekhawat has aligned itself with the broader policy emphasis on promoting intangible cultural heritage alongside tourism development in Jammu and Kashmir. Handicraft preservation in the region has been a recurring theme, with Geographical Indication (GI) tags and cluster-development schemes forming part of the central government's toolkit for artisan support.

Stakeholders and Impact

The primary stakeholders in the Vagu revival effort are traditional artisan communities in the Kashmir Valley, for whom such crafts represent both livelihood and cultural identity. When senior ministers amplify grassroots stories on high-visibility platforms, it can generate demand, attract institutional support, and encourage younger generations within artisan families to continue the practice.

Srinagar, as the largest city in Jammu and Kashmir and a historic centre of traditional weaving, provides an established ecosystem of craft knowledge. The Vagu mat — produced from locally available natural materials like reed and straw — also carries potential as an eco-friendly, sustainable product in both domestic and export markets.

What's Next

The ministerial spotlight on Vagu craft could precede formal announcements from the Ministry of Culture or the Ministry of Textiles regarding handicraft cluster support, GI tag applications, or inclusion in upcoming Mann Ki Baat episodes. Such recognition at the national level typically opens pathways to government craft fairs, export promotion councils, and skill development programmes for artisans.

As the central government continues to position Jammu and Kashmir's cultural heritage as a pillar of its tourism and development narrative for the region, stories like that of Ghulam Hussain and Tanjila are likely to feature more prominently in both policy communication and cultural diplomacy efforts.