Samad thanked LG for mentioning him in his radio talk
Tauseef Ahmad
BANDIPORA, : A-94-year-old Abdul Samad Ganaie from Kehnousa village of north Kashmir’s Bandipora district is keeping an old art of making ‘Grass Sandals’ (Pulhore in Kashmiri) alive.
Samad, is known in his village for making wonderful wearing Kashmiri traditional Grass Sandals typically known as “Pulhore” in common parlance. The elderly man seems to be committed to revive the age-old tradition of making sandals from the twigs of raw grass. Talking to the Kashmir Despatch, Samad said: “I started doing this job at the age 30. I make slippers out of soft grass which is kept in water for several days.”
He said that there were times when people would not afford to purchase plastic sandals from market. “I make these grass sandals in my own village. People pay me Rs 10 for making a pair of sandals for them.”
Ganaie said that he is keeping this old art alive through his efforts but the new generation seems least interested in the same. “Now we have resources to purchase high cost shoes and slippers. I do not think there are any takers for these grass sandals any more. But what I am concerned about is this art will die slowly and I want to keep this alive till I am alive for a reminiscence of our old golden times.”
Samad thanked Lt. Governor Manoj Sinha for mentioning and appreciating his name during LG’s radio talk show Awaam ki Awaaz yesterday. The LG during his talk show appreciated Samad for keeping an old art alive of making grass sandals.
