Pin It
Embroidery can turn a dull piece of fabric into a visual masterpiece. Indians have understood this concept better than any other people, creating intricately colorful designs in a variety of fabrics. There is an immense variety of embroidery works throughout India; But only a dozen forms (give or take), from the most ornate and tedious to the most simplistic, are considered traditional Indian embroidery adorning the popular women’s clothing of salwars and sarees.
Fashion houses from around the world still look to India for inspiration when designing new pieces as well as the manufacturing of items. Hand-stitched embroidery isn’t just for the runway. Tourists of India will find affordable, ready-to-wear fashions in big markets such as Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai and Bengaluru. For the traveler with more time and a unique design flair, custom made salwar kameez and sarees can be ordered in the same markets.
Below are the most common forms of traditional Indian embroidery:
 |
Aabla: Mirror work which has its roots in Rajasthan and Kutch, District of Gujarat. |
 |
Aari: Embroidery done on a cot. Also known as khatla work. Aari originated in Barabanki, Uttar Pradesh. |
 |
Badla: Flat metallic wire, silver or gilt wire embroidery. |
 |
Bead and Crystal Work: Resham work is teamed with beads, baggets, diamantes, rhinestones and Swarowski crystal. |
 |
Butas and Butis: Motifs composed of floral forms fitted into paisley shapes derived from the Mughal era. |
 |
Chikan Work: Originating from Lucknow this involves a technique of finding separated warp and weft threads for a textural effect. |
 |
Ek taar: Single thread embroidery used in tandem with crystals. |
 |
Jaali: Network. Somewhat like thread work: done by breaking the fabric into holes and not by drawing out threads but warp and weft threads are pulled apart with a needle and tightened to give the cloth the appearance of a net. |
 |
Kantha Work: Originally from Bangladesh, it resembles the running stitch. |
 |
Kashida: Mix of textile embroidery and printing. It is Traditionally practiced in Kashmir, commonly referred to as Kashmiri embroidery. |
 |
Khatwa: Inverted satin stitch on muslin. |
 |
Lari and Zari: Fine quality gold thread embroidery found in Bareilly , Benaras ( Varanasi ), Lucknow and Agra . These days silver zari is equally popular. Zari is gold plated silver wire wrapped around a polyester core. |
 |
Mokaish: Silver dots strewn all over is Mokaish work. |
 |
Murri or Phanda: Satin stitch knots/embossed knotted style. Murri means rice shape, it is usually done on muslin. Murri is worked at the centre of the flowers, the stitch is french knot. |
 |
Phool Patti Work: Applique work from Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh where usually organdi or other fabric cutouts in floral and leaf motifs are affixed on to a plain fabric sometimes in tandem with silver tilla embroidery. |
 |
Phulkari: Flower motifs, geometric patterns, surface satin stitching using silk floss threads. Phulkari has its origin in Punjab. |
 |
Resham: Embroidery done with a fine silk thread on sarees, salwar kameez and lehnga choli. |
 |
Sitara Work: Sequins are embroidered into the fabric. |
 |
Taipchi/Tipkhi: Simple darning stitch used in inferior type of work. |
 |
Zardosi: Leaf-scroll worked in gold and silver thread on silk, satin, velvet and other rich fabrics. Zardosi is also combined with Dabka work and is originally from Lucknow. |
Recent posts in Culture
Top Lists
Skip/Avoid
Places to See
Women
Travel Tips
Where To Stay
Rail/Train
Food & Drink
Culture
Cook
Religion
at 2:26 pm
very nice your work
at 9:16 am
very good
at 1:02 am
I do wholesale/retail of high quality Indian hand-embroidery saree borders, patches and necklines done by skillful ‘karigars’ of Kolkata, West Bengal and haven’t come across such compact yet informative article on Indian embroideries before. Well done!
at 8:32 am
Thanks Arti. It was a great learning experience compiling the info, and an even better reward to see how popular the post has been
at 6:42 am
Hi,
i gone through your web site about hand embroidery for sarees.its very wonderful.if you want additional designs about hand embroidery for sarees visit our website:http://devakis.in/sarees.php