Bhaderwah, 10 October: In the gorgeous town of Bhaderwah, Jammu and Kashmir, the just-finished youth festival, “Sangam 2023,” featured an incredible exhibition of inventiveness. The teachers and students of Poonch Campus’s creations, which were all made from old and broken cocoon shells, included multicoloured flower bouquets, garlands, frames, and works of art.
A fascinating highlight during the renowned youth festival, Sangam 2023, was the cocoon craft workshop. Students, dignitaries, and visitors were all attracted by this particular art form’s originality.
By reusing non-biodegradable materials, the use of discarded cocoon shells attempts to empower women and enhance farmer incomes while simultaneously addressing environmental issues.
Due to their high protein content, cocoon shells were historically regarded as waste materials that belonged in compost pits, whether they were damaged or discarded because of their inferior quality. However, a fresh group of Poonch Campus Sericulture students is repurposing these shells as works of art.
Dr. Rubia Bukhari, a professor and the head of the department of sericulture at Jammu University’s Poonch Campus, is the brains behind this creative concept. When Dr. Bukhari saw farmers abandoning sericulture because a substantial amount of their cocoon output was either rejected or devalued by dealers, she was motivated to employ this uncommon material for craftwork.
Dr. Rubia Bukhari described her experience in this way: “Sitting among the dispersed cocoons on our campus, I, together with my students and other faculty members, started experimenting by cutting cocoon shells into different shapes, painting them, and making creative designs for cards and flowers. What began as a hobby quickly became a pastime and, ultimately, a proficiency in the arts.
Inspiring a resurgence of sericulture in J&K’s Poonch is Cocoon Art.
Cocoon Art: Reviving Sericulture in PoonchGK, J&K Photo
She highlighted her joy at the fervent reaction at Sangam and how it would help bring about a “white revolution” in Jammu and Kashmir, similar to the “purple revolution” brought on by the planting of lavender in Bhaderwah.
Utilising abandoned cocoon shells has many positive social effects, particularly in hilly areas. It enhances the income of farmers who raise silk, empowers women, and allays environmental concerns by substituting cocoon art for plastic flowers in bouquets.
Inspiring a resurgence of sericulture in J&K’s Poonch is Cocoon Art.
Cocoon Art: Reviving Sericulture in PoonchGK, J&K Photo
The larger-scale expansion of this craft’s manufacturing is part of Dr. Rubia Bukhari’s ambition. With an emphasis on empowering women, Poonch Campus has organised training camps and seminars in a number of villages and college campuses to accomplish this.
Participants in cocoon craft courses, including farmers and students, are discovering renewed optimism about simultaneously improving their living conditions and wages.
‘We have been raising silkworms for two decades, but we never thought of utilising discarded cocoons productively,’ said Sonia (23), a silkworm rearer from Poonch. I am certain that our income will rise as a result of attending Dr. Rubia Bukhari’s course, and I am determined to convince my family to keep practicing sericulture.
While studying an MSc in Sericulture at the Poonch Campus, Jyoti Sharma, 22, of Udhampur, expressed her thankfulness for having found this special aspect of art.
Khair-un-Nisa, a 21-year-old student at Poonch Campus, is enthusiastic about creating cocoons and wants to use this trade to empower rural women.
The development of a new art form is symbolised by the metamorphosis of cocoon shells into works of art and crafts. With strongholds of silk cultivation in places like Poonch, Rajouri, Udhampur, Reasi, Kathua, Doda, and Anantnag, there is an endless potential for growth.
Inspiring a resurgence of sericulture in J&K’s Poonch is Cocoon Art. GK Image
Even though sericulture is widely practiced throughout the states of southern India, Kashmiri silk is still considered to be the best in the nation. This creative project not only gives women more authority but also gives the region’s rich cultural legacy a new facet.
