Kashmir to Kanyakumari Indian Embroidery
State by State Embroidery of India
by
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Designing is needed for practically every thing; form jewelry making, ceramic work to interiors of a house or a stage. Film and television production also require designing in different categories…..from marriages to bank robberies, from making music to fire crackers design play an important part. Every where designs are embedded deep within every thing we see. Right from our DNA to chemical crystals; it is design which is important. Its relevance is felt by understanding that the patterns of sugar molecule and salt are different and that is why these commodities are different. Thus, the basic patterns or the blueprint names the commodity and makes it unique. Some designs are utterly simple and some astoundingly complex. To design for a work done only with needle and threads, require skill and imagination hand in hand. Traditional Indian designs are innumerous. In north India the most commonly worked designs are called Phool bagh (garden of flowers), chokies (squares), zarokhas (windows), gumbads (canopy), Rumal (square kerchief), baithak chokadi ( sitting stools), darga (inside), kurani, chaddar and tomar; where as in the south of India one comes across traditional designs in the forms of gupur (entrance of a temple) kurma (turtle) matsya (fish) vajra (weapon), damaru (small hand drum), gada (Millet) parshu (spear), Dhanushya (Bow), bann (arrow) and trishul (trident) and Nataraja (dancing lord). Motifs of swastika, peacocks, lotus, pentagonal stars, hexagonal stars, ganapati, durga, sarasvati and shri are traditionally used all over India. A leave or the flower rose is designeds in every state but with a vast difference. A Lotus flower looks the same every where but when depicted in embroidery, it gains a distinct touch. How it incorporates regional stitches with different combinations having local colors and is transformed into an authentic traditional motif is amazing!! There is much in this book for the newcomer to the world of embroidery. 29 states and the union territories of India with their diverse styles are listed in these pages. Each chapter provides glimpses of the state’s traditional embroidery along with its geographical, historical and political placement on the map. Its fauna and flora and dipping shortly in its past for correlating its historically significant influence on the contemporary art.
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About the Book
One can use this book in many ways. Just browse through it for sheer reading pleasure or to satisfy curiosity of, in how many different ways certain embroideries are done in other states of India. For example how blanket stitches or chain stitches are made in different regions along with other combinations of stitches. How differently from region to region a mirror is fixed on the material. One can also use this book as a help in deciding which embroidery style one would like to begin work, either to buy the embroidered goods or get the type of work done. Read through it or dip first into one chapter, then into another, and find out exactly what is involved in the motifs you think might interest you. Thus, appreciation of the efforts involved, automatically comes with knowledge and getting to know intimately the details of work creates aspirations for making such charming embroidered cloths. Kashmir to Kanyakumari contains more than 150 pages and has more than 150 photographs and illustrations detailing just about everything there is to know about Indian embroidery. To fully understand a particular motif, read through the technical details of related stitches listed in a sequel book in a separate chapter on stitches. Best of all, this book will introduce you to the talent you never realized you had. It may bring you face to face to that beautiful instinct of your own creative capabilities and urge.
About the Author
After graduating in Economics from JMC Delhi Smita born on 10th Feb 1955 did commercial Art form London and later in life, soon after marriage did fashion designing. She is an artist and has held painting exhibitions in India and USA. A sports person in early days: won medals in athletics, badminton, loves to swim, drive, play guitar, write poetry and sing in Marathi, English and Hindi. She was a tutor and is actively involved in numerous social activities amongst them she was the founder president of Inner Wheel club at Ratnagiri and contributes in many projects of Rotarians. She has traveled extensively through India and abroad. Married to an affluent businessman Rajendra an Engineer and MBA (Ahmadabad). They have two sons. Both are highly educated. The elder son Kaustubh works in Fort Lauderdale and is married to Geetanjali. The younger son Kirit is working in New Jersey. Smita is a wife who loves gardening, embroidering, stitching, cooking and helps in looking after their acres of cashew plantations in Ratnagiri. Smita started writing this book in 2006. She hadn't come across any one book that covered all the embroidery styles of India or which showed A to Z on the entire embroidery work techniques from each state of India. With this book published by Author House she wishes to revive the fine needle craft of yester years.