My Qissaa

Kadhwa / Phekwa (North India) ~ Golani / Chalaani (Bengal)The weaving traditions in all textiles work on predetermined designed cards (the jacquard loom) or the embroidery of motifs by hand, by memory. Counting recounting, swapping colours, beautiful designs emerge. These are family traditions passed down through generations. Invaluable and needs to be preserved. The Jacquard style with as many as thousands of cards where thread is automatically passed is called phekwa or chalaani. The handmade version is called Kahwa or Golaani.The prices differ accordingly and the handmade versions are obviously expensive and more time consuming. It is important to know...

Tapestry material was made from Baluchar silks which were originally used by nawabs and Muslim aristocrats of the Murshidabad district as";" however Hindu noblemen used the raw silk. Baluchar silk was woven into saris in which the ground scheme of decoration is a very wide pallu with a panel of mango or paisley motifs at the centre surrounded by smaller rectangles depicting different scenes. The sari borders were narrow with floral and foliage motifs and the fall of the sari was covered with small paisley and other floral designs in undemonstrated but bright colour schemes. Another familiar motif for the...

Tribal art is the visual arts and material culture of indigenous peoples. Ethnographic art, or, controversially, primitive art,  is often ceremonial or religious in nature.   India has always been known as the land that portrayed cultural and traditional vibrancy through its conventional arts and crafts. The  different regions  across the country each have their own distinctive cultural and traditional identities, its own style and pattern of art and are displayed through various forms of art prevalent there. The folk and tribal arts of India are very ethnic and simple, and yet colorful and vibrant.   Tribal art generally reflects the creative energy...

Swikriti Women Artisan Group in Howrah is a group helping women in distress. Girls and women in distress come here to learn crafts like embroidery, knitting, stitching. Praneeta di gets orders for them to earn a suitable livelihood. A haven away from the daily toils of home. They try to get orders, execute them and earn some money to supplement home expenses. A must to support them.