National Handloom Day: 5 Indian hand embroidery crafts you need to know

National Handloom Day 2024: From Aari to Kantha, Indian embroidery has been creating fashion trends for centuries. Here are the 5 Indian hand embroidery crafts you should know about

Indian embroidery has come a long way and has been creating fashion trends that change with time adapting to new climates and managing to remain elegant and sophisticated. The country’s rich cultural heritage and artistic traditions have given rise to remarkable embroidery designs cutting across regions and ethnicities.

Embroidery in the country includes dozens of embroidery styles varying by region and clothing styles. Indian embroidery is formed based on the texture and the design fabric and stitch. The different designs constitute the dot and the alternate dot, the circle, the square, the triangle, and permutations.

Aari

Aari work involves a hook, piled from the top but fed by silk threads from below with the materials spread out on a frame. This movement creates loops, repeating these leads to a line of chain stitches. The fabric is stretched on a frame and stitching is done with a long needle ending with a hook such as a crewel, tambour or Luneville work. Aari is said to have originated from the Mughal times and is practised in Rajasthan, Lucknow, and Kashmir.

 

Banjara embroidery (Andhra Pradesh)

This embroidery is practised by the Lambada gypsy tribes of Andhra Pradesh. The Banjara embroidery is a combination of applique with mirrors and beadwork. Bright red, yellow, black and white coloured cloth is laid in bands and joined with a white cross stitch. These Banjaras are found in the Malwa and Nimar districts of Madhya Pradesh popular for their own embroidery designs created according to the weave of the cloth and the texture effect is achieved by varying colours and stitches of the geometric patterns and designs. Motifs are generally highlighted by cross-stitch.

Chamba Rumal (Himachal Pradesh)

Chamba Rumal originated in the 17th century in the Chamba Kingdom of Himachal Pradesh. It flourished in the princely states of Kangra, Chamba, Basohli and other neighbouring provinces. Some of the most skilled craftsmen are found in the Chamba region of Himachal Pradesh. Known for its own distinctive style, Chamba embroidery has the design of small squares or rectangles of thin metal wires or metallic yarn. Originating in the 17th century, it became popular in the 18th century under the patronisation of Chamba Rumal embroidered. 

Gota (Jaipur, Rajasthan)

Gota is a form of applique in gold thread used for women's formal attire. The small pieces of Zari ribbon are applied on the fabric with the edges sewn down creating elaborate patterns. The lengths of golden ribbons are stitched on the fabric edges creating the gold zari work effect. Khandela in Shekhawati is popular for its manufacture. A fringed border decoration called kinari or edging is used by the Muslim community. The practice of Gota-Kinari is popular mainly in Jaipur and is utilised to develop shares of bird, animal, and human figures which are cut and sewn on the material; it is very popular in Rajasthan and many parts of the world.

Kantha (Bengal)

Naksha is an embroidery created on different layers of cloth such as quilting, with running stitch. It is also known as dorukha meaning designs/motifs are equally visible on both sides. The best part with this embroidery is that it can be usable from both the right and wrong side.  Traditionally, saris and worn-out clothes were piled together and stitched into quilts. Rural Bengali women still do this with cotton saris, the women embroidery thread is taken from the sari border. It started with the methods of creating quilts, but the same type of embroidery on salwar suits, saris, stoles, napkins, etc. The themes for these designs include human beings, animals, flowers, geometric designs and mythological figures.