EMBRODERIES OF INDIA

1. EMBROIDERIES OF
INDIA
A.LAKSHIKA
ASSISTANT PROFESSOR
BON SECOURS ARTS &
SCIENCE COLLEGE FOR
WOMEN, MANNARGUDI.

2. EMBROIDERIES OF INDIA
INDIA IS RICH IN EMBROIDERED FABRICS.
ART OF EMBROIDERY IN INDIA IS AN ANCIENT ONE.
ORIGIN CAN BE TRACED BACK TO VEDIC AGES.
REFLECTS THE CULTURAL TRADITIONS OF PEOPLE .

4. KANTHAS OF BENGAL
POPULAR FOLK ART
IT WAS ALMOST A LOST ART UNTIL A FEW YEARS WHEN IT BEGAN TO
REVIVE.
NOT ONLY HAVE ARTISTIC ELEGANCE, BUT IT IS VIVID NARRATION
OF TALES OF HEROISM AND LEGENDS.
DOMESTIC ART FOR THE BASE OF IT IS WASTE MATERIAL (OLD
SAREES AND DHOTIS)
KNOWN AS BENGALLA QUITS IN EUROPE.
BY THE MIDDLE OF 20TH CENTURY, THEY CEASED BEING PART OF
BENGALS EXPORT TRADE.

5. TYPES
TWO TYPES
 QUILTED BED SPREAD WITH PICTORIAL DESIGNS IN YELLOW
TUSSAR SILK MADE UNDER PORTUGESE INFLUENCE IN THE HUGLI
AREA
DACA WHICH WERE EMBROIDERED IN MUSLIN

6. TRADITION
KANTHAS ARE RUGS WHICH ARE QUILTED AND EMBROIDERED WITH
COLOURED COTTONS OF BENGAL
TO PREPARE A KANTHA IT TAKES 6 MONTHS TO 1 YEAR
TREASURED POSSESION AT EVERY HOME.
THIS EMBROIDERY IS DONE BY ALL CLASSES OF PEOPLE AND WORKED
BY WOMEN ONLY

7. PREPARATION
PREPARED BOTH IN WEST AND EAST BENGAL
MOSTLY DONE IN JESSORE, FRIDAPUR, KHULNA AND MYNMENSING
MADE USING OLD SAREES OR DHOTIS
THEY ARE PIECED NEATLY TOGETHER IN LAYERS IN RUNNING
STITCHES USING WHITE THREAD COVERING ENTIRE FIELD.
THE DISCARDED SAREES ARE PLACED ON TOP OF EACH OTHER
EDGES ARE FOLDED AND TACKED TOGETHER
THEN IT IS FILLED IN WITH FINE QUILTED WORK BY MEANS OF WHITE
THREAD.

8. MOTIFS
HUMAN FIGURES AND ANIMAL FIGURES,
FLORAL AND FOLIAGE SYMBOLS WHICH
COVER THE SURFACE.
FROM THE CORNERS, TREES OF LIFE REACH OUT
TOWARDS THE CENTRE PIECE
THE CENTRAL DESIGN IS USUALLY LOTUS WITH
A VARIABLE NUMBERS OF PETALS.

9. THREADS, STITCHES AND
COLOURS USED
THREADS ARE TAKEN FROM THE BORDERS OF THE SAREE
COLOURS USED ARE BLUE, RED, YELLOW, GREEN, BLACK.
NOWADAYS INSTEAD OF THREADS FROM OLD SAREE THREADS,
VIVIDLY COLOURED SILK OR BRIGHT EMBROIDERY STRANDS ARE
USED.
STITCHES USED ARE DARNING, SATIN, LOOP, STEM, BACK STITCH

10. TYPES
Lep Kantha — This is done on warm covering material over which simple designs would be
executed.
● Sujani Kantha — This is done on blankets or clothes used on ceremonial occasions like sarees
and patch work dupatta.
● Baiton Kantha — This is done to cover books and other valuables. It is elaborately patterned
with borders of colorful designs.
● Oaar Kantha — Simple designs with decorative border sewn around the edges of rectangular
pillow covers.
● Archilata Kantha — Wide, colorful borders in assorted motifs done on small, rectangular covers
for mirrors or toilet accessories.
● Durjani/Thalia Kantha — Small rectangles with a central lotus design and embroidered borders.
The three corners of the rectangle are folded inward to form a wallet.
● Rumal Kantha — A central lotus with ornamented borders done on absorbent wipes or plate
coverings.

14. CHIKANKARI OF UTTER
PRADESH
Chikankari embroidery, known as Shadow work by using
herringbone stitch from the wrong side of the fabric and creates
shadow on the right side and at the same imparts an outline to the
motif.
It is an integral part of the life and culture of Lucknow and
recognized, worldwide.
 The name Chikan has been derived from the Persian word 'Chakin'
or 'Chikeen' meaning a kind of cloth with needle work.
 Chikan is said to have originated as a court craft during the reign of
Mughal emperor Jahangir, by his wife Noor Jahan.
 Traditionally, the Chikankari was exclusively done on white fabric
(known as Tanzeb) using white thread.
The motifs are inspired from nature’s flora motifs including flowers,

15.  There are three types of stitches used in chikankari: Flat
stitches, such as Taipachi (running stitch), Ghaspatti (fill with
petals and leaves), Pechani (running stitch in regular manner),
Bakhia (herringbone stitch, done on both side of the fabric) and
Thurs (cross stitch done on the right side of the fabric).
 Embossed stitch such as Hool (button hole), Gitti (button hole
and satin), Murri (French knot), Phanda (French knot), Janjira
(chain stitch).
 Jali work is the most striking feature of chikankari, creates
delicate net effect on the fabric.
 Earlier brass, bone, copper or iron needles were used whereas
now days, only steel needles are used for fine embroidery, was
done on white tanjeb; the muslin from Dacca, using only white
untwisted cotton or sometimes tussar silk for embroidery. It is
used on all imaginable garments.

16. Colours
Having started out as a white-on-white embroidery work on muslin
cloth, chikankari has now evolved and embraced the use of colours.
Many say that the change is in keeping with the modern fashion trends,
and still swear by the classic all-white garment. While white does rule
the roost, don’t be surprised to see colourful and silk threads too tracing
the motifs, making each garment more versatile in nature.
Motifs
Floral patterns and chikankari go hand in hand. Due to its strong Persian
influence, flowers have always been a staple with stems, buti and leaves
added in to complete the design. Other motifs include embellishments
like Mukaish, Kamdani, Badla as well as sequin, bead and mirror work,
all of which give the simple work a richer look.
The market for local chikan is mainly in Chowk,
Lucknow.

18. CHAMBA ROOMAL OF
HIMACHAL PRADESH
CHAMBA, THE CAPITAL OF 14TH CENTURY
DEVELOPED A DISTINCT STYLE OF PAINTING UNDER THE PATRONAGE
OF THE LOCAL PRINCESS.
STYLE POF PAINTING INFLUENCED THE EMBROIDERY OF THE PLACE
EMBROIDERY IS PURELY A DOMESTIC ART DEPENDENT ON THE
SOCIAL CUSTOMS OF THE PEOPLE.
CHAMBA MEANS THE FACE AND MOVEMENTS OF BODIES.

19. MOTIFS USED
THE DESIGNS ON THYE RUMAL ARE EMBROIDERED TO DEPICT THEMES
FROM INDIAN MYTHOLOGY,
MAHABHARATA AND RAMAYANA,
RAS DANCES
KRISHNA LEELA
PAHARI PAINTINGS,
RAGAS AND RAGINIS
HUNTING AND MARRIAGE SCENES
THE GAMES OF DICE (CHAUPAD)

20. FABRIC USED
FABRIC USED IN CHAMBA RUMAL IS TUSSAR OR FINE COTTON
FABRIC.
USUALLY THE GROUND MATERIAL IS COTTN IN WHITE OR CREAM
COLOUR.
THIS CLOTH IS GENERALLY UNBLEACHED AND SO APPEARS CREAM
COLOUR.
THE FABRIC IS HAND SPUN, THIN LIKE MAL-MAL
IT WAS MANUFACTURED IN SIAKOT, AMRISAR AND LUDHIANA
HAND WOVEN KHADDAR IS ALSO USED.

21. KINDS
TWO KINDS OF CHAMBA RUMAL ONE WITH THE PAHARI PAINTING,
AND THE SECOND WAS FOLK STYLE IN WHICH THE WOMEN
EMBROIDERED THEIOR CHOLIS AND RUMALS, USING THEIR OWN
PATTERN AND DESIGNS.
THE DESIGN ON THE RUMALS WERE STRANGE BIRD LIKE HEADS WITH
BEAKS LIKE LIPS FORMING SPECIAL CHARACTERISTICS OF THE FOLK
STYLE.
THE FIGURES OF KRISHNA, RADHA AND THE GOPIS DRAWN IN FOLK
STYLE APPEARED VERY PECULIAR.

22. USUAGE
THEY WERE USED TO COVER OFFERINGS TO DEITIES TO COVER
PRESENTS FROM THE BRIDE’S HOME TO THAT BRIDE GROOM VICE
VERSA.
FLORAL MOTIFS ARE USED FOR BORDERS.

23. SHAPE, COLOUR
THREAD,STITCHES AND
COLOURS
SQUARE SHAPE BUT SOMETIME THE RUMALS WERE RECTANGULAR RANGING
FROM TWO FEET TO SIX FEET IN LENGTH
RUMALS WERE WORN ROUND THE NECK OR TIED ROUND THE HEAD
ALSO USED AS HPOUSE HOLD ACCESSORIES SUCH AS DICE CLOTH, CAP,
HAND FANS, PILLOW COVER, WALL HANGING, CEILING COVER,ETC.
DESIGNS ARE WORKED OUT WITH SILKL THREAD, UNTWISTED AND DYED
SILK THREAD OF A WIDE VARIETY OF COLOURS IS USED IN THIS EMBROIDERY
AND THIS MAKES THE PATTERN LOOK SMOOTH AND GLOSSY.
MANY AND VARIETY OF COLOURS
BLUE IS PREDOMINENT
NO CHAMBA RUMAL IS SINGLE COLOUR
STITCHES USED ARE DOUBLE SATIN AND STEM STITCH.