BY RANI SHARMA

Indian embroidery, for a long time, has had its distinctive place in the world, and is considered an intricate art form. For centuries, it has embellished and enhanced the garments of Indian men and women, with beauty and ornate craftsmanship. Indian embroidery projects a mosaic of Indian customs and cultures and is as diverse as the country itself. Each region has evolved its own style. Here we feature five popular types of embroidery – zardozi, mirror work, chikankari, phulkari and kantha work.



Zardosi is an ancient Persian embroidery form that has passed down from generation to generation. It reached its peak under the patronage of Mughal emperor Akbar. The most prevalent zardozi elements are segments of dabka, a tightly wound spiral metal kora, sequence, glass and plastic beads and kasab, silver and gold plated thread. This work looks good on rich fabrics like silk, satin, velvet etc. Zardozi garments have become very popular and make elegant evening and ceremonial wear.



Mirror work means shisha or abla embroidery and is the traditional style of Gujarati men and women. The mirrors come in all sizes, but nowadays, the trend is to use palettes or shiny plastic or patra .This is very light weight. Mirror work is the rage in sarees, blouses, lehngas and dupattas. Mirrors are versatile and can embellish cottons and chiffons. Mirror work embellished garments can be worn on traditional occasions like dandiyas and ras garbhas.



Chikankari- Nothing speaks elegance louder than the chikankari of Lucknow. This fine art form originated over 200 years ago and is still very popular in cities all over India. This skillful work of craftsmanship is hand embroidered on fabrics like silk, chiffon, organza, net etc, and is typically designed with white threads. Chikankari is the latest fashion statement among the glitterati of India and embellishes sarees, suits, dupattas, kurtas etc. Some popular motifs include kairi, taipchi work , murri and zali. 



Phulkari is the traditional art work of Punjab. Phulkari means growing flowers. This embroidery form is true to its name and includes floral motifs in bright colors. The floral patterns are called bagh, which means garden. The phulkari form looks great on odhanies and dupattas, and is often worn during ceremonies. A phulkari dupatta can transform a simple, plain suit to graceful elegance.



Kantha embroidery is from the heart of Bengal. The art involves simple, running, cotton shaded embroidery. It is a typical example of how a simple stitch can create elaborate motifs. Usually the motifs are gods and goddesses, flowers, animals or geometric patterns.

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