In old Punjab, a girl often grew up alongside a piece of cloth. When she was born, the women of her family might begin embroidering a bagh — a “garden” of silk so dense the base fabric almost disappears — to be given at her wedding. Phulkari, meaning “flower work”, was made by women, for women, in homes across the Punjab region.
How it is made
Traditional phulkari is worked on khaddar, a coarse hand-spun cotton, often dyed red, rust or ochre. The embroiderer uses pat, untwisted floss silk, and a darning stitch worked largely from the back of the cloth, counting threads rather than drawing patterns. The glossy floss catches light differently depending on its direction, giving each motif a shimmering, almost woven look.
A wardrobe of meanings
- Bagh – the whole surface covered in embroidery.
- Chope – traditionally gifted to the bride by her maternal grandmother.
- Sainchi – scenes of village life: people, animals, everyday tasks.
- Thirma – worked on white cloth, associated with older women.
Today, in Patiala
By the mid-20th century, home phulkari-making had declined. Since the 1990s, self-help groups and cooperatives — many in Patiala — have trained thousands of women who embroider from home and earn their own income. In 2010, phulkari received a Geographical Indication tag covering parts of Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan. Ask the women stitching in Patiala’s lanes and many will tell you the same thing: every piece still carries a little of someone’s story.
Shop phulkari and kantha dupattas →
Cover photo: Sheebamadanloewinger, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0