Sonapah
Village In Jammu and Kashmir
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Craft Tourism Village Sonapah is a village in tehsil Beerwah, district Budgam of the Jammu and Kashmir (India).[3]
Craft Tourism Village Sonapah
Sonpah | |
|---|---|
Village | |
| Nickname: Sonpah | |
  Craft Tourism Village Sonapah  Craft Tourism Village Sonapah | |
| Coordinates: 34°00′35″N 74°36′11″E | |
| Country | India |
| Union territory | Jammu and Kashmir |
| District | Budgam |
| Tehsil | Beerwah |
| Government | |
| • Type | Panchayat |
| Area | |
• Total | 3,000 km2 (1,200 sq mi) |
| • Rank | 5 |
| Population (2011) | |
• Total | 4,900 |
| • Rank | 3 |
| • Density | 1.6/km2 (4.2/sq mi) |
| Languages | |
| • Official | Kashmiri, Urdu, Hindi, Dogri, English[1][2] |
| Time zone | UTC+5:30 (IST) |
| PIN | 193401 |
| Vehicle registration | JK04 |
| Sex Ratio | 1700♀/2300 ♂900[children's] |
Population
As of the 2011 census, the population of Sonapah is 4900, of which 2300are males and 1700 are females. The total number of children below 6 years is 900 as per the report.
Religions
Transport
Beerwah to Budgam
Beerwah to Magam
Beerwah to Arizal
Beerwah to Khanshahib
Doodhpathri road
Tosmaidan road
arizal
Craft Tourism Village Designation
In recognition of Sonapah’s deep-rooted tradition of Sozni embroidery, with over 400 practising artisans and more than 20 award-winning craftsmen, the Department of Handicrafts & Handloom, Kashmir initiated the process of designating the village as an official Craft Tourism Village, aiming to preserve this 150-year-old heritage and bolster rural craft tourism. The initiative is part of major infrastructure and promotional priorities under the Union Territory's artisanal support framework, which also encompasses Common Facility Centres, Craft Villages, and GI‑tagging campaigns, with Sonapah’s project proposed alongside others such as a Wool CFC at Nowshera.
Under the scheme, a proposed craft training and demonstration centre in Sonapah is expected to offer hands‑on Sozni embroidery courses for visitors and local youth, facilitate market access, and provide direct exposure to the craft’s techniques and practitioners. Officials anticipate that formal designation will enhance support mechanisms—including subsidies, exhibitions, packaging and logistics assistance, youth entrepreneurship initiatives, and digital authentication of GI-certified products—to promote sustainable livelihoods and tourism integration in Budgam district.
This government-led effort aims to transform Sonapah into a noteworthy destination for craft tourism—celebrated for its exquisite Sozni embroidery—while ensuring economic empowerment of artisans and intergenerational cultural continuity.
The village was officially declared a Craft Tourism Village at the end of June 2025. https://brighterkashmir.com/news/sonpah-craft-village-between-heritage-and-privation-76647.html