Srinagar

A driver who had brought visitors from the capital, Srinagar, told BBC Hindi that he was pleading with those visiting not to "distance" themselves from Kashmir.

Last year, a video showing tourists drinking alcohol during a boat ride on the famous Dal Lake in Srinagar evoked outrage from political and religious leaders, who called the behaviour "un-Islamic and unethical".

In February, locals put up posters in Srinagar, asking tourists to "respect local culture and traditions" and "avoid alcohol and use of drugs", but these were later pulled down by the police.

Born in Srinagar in Indian-administered Kashmir in 1961, Bal graduated from Delhi's St Stephens College with an honours degree in history.

His earliest memories of fabric were totally sensory, he said, recalling the downy feel of a jamawar shawl at home in Srinagar and the soft warmth of his mother's shahtoosh saris.