Phulkari from Punjab Satinder Pal Singh Drohar Handicraft Handloom Welfare Society Gandhi Ground Samana Dist., Patiala, Punjab Mobile: 92169 97756 / 98141 97756

Worked by the peasant women of Pujab, Phulkari odhanis or shawls are intricately woven into the cultural life of the high-spirited, hard working people of the region. They form an important part of the bridal dress, are given away as dowry and worn on all festive occasions. Even in death, a married woman's bier is covered by finely worked Phulkari. The base of the embroidery is hand spun, hand-woven khaddar, generally in shades of red. The unique feature of the craft is that it involves the use of only one stitch - the simple darn. The stitches are worked on the wrong side of the cloth with silk thread called 'pat' in Punjabi, to produce a smooth silken sheen on the surface. The predominant colours of white, yellow, orange, red, green and magenta are arranged to give a stunning kaleidoscope effect. All kinds of human and animal figures are worked on rare "sanchi' Phulkaris, which are highly prized by connoisseurs of art. In the more common Phulkaris, floral motifs and geometric designs produce a rich mosaic-like impression.