Manasbal (Ganderbal), Sept 09: Secretary, Ministry of Textiles, Neelam Shami Rao on Tuesday said that a dedicated museum has been set up here showcasing more than 150 varieties of mulberry saplings. These varieties, she said, are also distributed across the country to support sericulture.
Speaking to media after the inauguration in Manasbal in Central Kashmir’s Ganderbal district she said the museum aims to both educate and inspire. “The main objective of this museum is to educate and spread awareness among tourists about sericulture and the process of silk production,” she noted.
The Sericulture Museum has been specially designed to narrate the journey of silk from mulberry cultivation to cocoon rearing and finally to the weaving of the luxurious fabric. Officials said the project is the first-of-its kind initiative in the Valley to link tourism with sericulture.She was accompanied by Joint Secretary, Ministry of Textiles, Padmini Singla, IAS, along with senior officers of the department and local farmers.
Officials expressed confidence that the initiative would give a major push to sericulture-based tourism in Kashmir. “This will not only attract visitors but also showcase one of the Valley’s oldest and most treasured industries,” an officer said.
Local farmers and sericulture experts welcomed the move. “The museum is a good step. It will encourage our youth to understand the potential of silk farming and perhaps take it up as a livelihood,” said Ghulam Rasool, a farmer from Ganderbal who attended the event.
The Textiles Ministry hopes the project will serve a dual purpose preserving Kashmir’s centuries-old silk tradition while also creating new opportunities for sustainable rural livelihoods.
