PESHAWAR, APRIL 16: Shah Behram has been making Taghar, a traditional woolen mat, for over three decades and has continued his family profession alive, but he is heart-broken as he sees no hope in future.

Taghar is a traditional colorful mat with geometrical designs. It is commonly made and used in Iran, Afghanistan, tribal areas and southern parts of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, but Shah Behram says the art of making Taghar is fast vanishing.

There were 32 families known for making Taghar only in Tank tehsil of Dera Ismail Khan, but only Behram's has continued what his father Mir Hamza, 80, did most of his life not just for a living but for his love for this art. Behram is living in Gul Imam village of Tank and works from his home as he could not afford a display centre or shop.

Like his artisan father, Behram has also been awarded Tamgha-i-Imtiaz for his outstanding skills, but he says that the family hardly earns enough from the business to live an honourable life.

The other six brothers of Behram did not opt to make Taghars for a living, but he obeyed the wish of his father and even left his job as a militiaman six years ago for carrying forward the art. He says that he is making Taghars because this is what his forefathers had been doing for three centuries. His family came to Tank area in 1890s from Afghanistan.

Recalling what his father and grandfather Abdullah Khan told him, Behram said that the family's best Taghar-maker was his great grandfather Niazoo, who had gifted a Taghar to the British ruling their area. The family received free ration till 1945 as a token of appreciation for their art, but later the family refused this favour.

“I know my family is the only one left in the southern districts of the province and tribal areas, which is still making Taghar,” claimed Behram.

“I know families in Tank, Wana (South Waziristan), Jandola and other areas which have relinquished Taghar-making because it was not getting them enough money,” Behram cited lack of marketing facilities, rising prices of raw material and poor law and order situation as the main reasons for people losing interest in the mat-making.

He said that the best Taghars were made from sheep wool, but now they could not afford to buy raw material. He said that usually artificial or polyester wool was used in making the mat.

“Obviously, it is not as good as the Taghars made years ago. The raw material is expensive and I don't have financial resources to buy it,” he said and added that making a 3X6 feet Taghar needed four kilogram wool and price of wool is Rs350-700 per kg depending on its quality.

Behram said that now people preferred cheaper machine-made mats and carpets to buying hand-made Taghars, as old color-scheme and designs of traditional Taghar was not liked by many. He said that he wanted to learn new designs and techniques so as to make other items like shoes and bags instead of just making mats.

Behram said that in 1991 he trained five youths, but they could not buy raw material and left the business.

The centuries old art of Taghar-making may vanish in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa along with the disheartened artisans if the departments responsible for preserving the culture and arts of this region failed to take immediate steps to save the art.