Wicker work in Kashmir

Kashmiri workers peel the bark off boiled wicker sticks in Ganderbal Kashmir on 6 December 2020. Twigs are collected from deciduous shrubs. After taking out from mud, these twigs are washed and cleansed. Then the water is boiled in a huge container made of iron whose outer structure is formed of bricks. The fire is ignited and prepared under the structure for one day and one night and the willow twigs are put inside the structure, colloquially known as ‘Boiler’. These straws are put inside the boiling water to soften the cover and after six hours are taken out from the boiler. In the last phase, when the straws are cooled off and the outer cover is softened, these straws are skinned off and bundled, ready to be used for making kangris (firepots) and other wicker products.