Waggu weaving is the traditional Kashmiri craft of making reed mats by interweaving dried lake grass and rice straw. Known locally by variations of the name, including Waguw and Wagov, the mats provide warmth in winter and cost roughly ₹500 per piece. After a gap of about 20 years, the craft has made a comeback, driven by the weavers themselves and by a new government scheme called Karkhandar, launched by the Jammu and Kashmir Government to support artisans.
What is Waggu Weaving?
At its most basic, Waggu weaving turns plant material harvested from Kashmir's lake waters into a finished household mat. According to reporting by The Hindu's Nissar Ahmad and its bureau in December 2021, the craft begins with dried grass gathered from lake waters, which is then woven together with rice straw to create each piece. The result is a mat that provides warmth during Kashmir's harsh winters.
The materials are entirely natural: lake grass and rice straw, interwoven by hand. A 2022 video report from The News Now showed Kashmiri women weaving the mats from dry reeds, a visual confirmation of the process described in written accounts. A viewer comment on The Hindu's video post described the mats as "100% natural," though that is anecdotal rather than an official specification.
What the available descriptions do not cover is the precise weaving technique itself—the specific interlacing patterns, tools, or steps by which the grass and straw are combined. The craft is documented at the level of its materials, its product, and its use, not its mechanics. For a reader encountering the term, the essential definition is straightforward: a Waggu mat is a traditional Kashmiri reed mat, woven from dried lake grass and rice straw, used for winter warmth.
The Decline and Revival of a Traditional Craft
The most striking fact in the Waggu story is the length of its absence. The Hindu's December 2021 report states that the mats "made a comeback after a gap of 20 years." That means a craft once woven in Kashmir's villages had, by that account, effectively disappeared from production for roughly two decades before weavers began reviving it.
The specific reasons for the decline are not detailed in the reporting, so any explanation of why the craft lapsed would be speculation. What the evidence does establish is the shape of the revival: it is attributed to the weavers themselves, described as "reviving the craft," working alongside government support. Waggu weaving has historically been a source of livelihood for families associated with the craft in Kashmir's villages, which makes its return both a cultural and an economic event.
The revival's significance lies in this dual character. A Waggu mat is not merely a household object; it represents a livelihood tradition that a generation of families once depended on. Its reappearance after 20 years suggests that the knowledge of the craft survived the gap, held by artisans who could resume production once conditions and incentives aligned.
