Kantha

The Craft

Kantha is a kind of embroidery, popular in West Bengal and Bangladesh. The traditional form of this embroidery was done on soft dhotis and saris. Kantha originated from the way in which Bengali housewives mended old clothes by taking out a strand of thread from the colorful border of their saris and making simple designs with them.

Who practices this craft?

In India, Kantha embroidery is typical of West Bengal and Bihar. t is essentially practiced by women for making gifts for family and friends. The work of Hindu and Muslim differ in the kind of motifs and the patterns used.  Kantha embroidery is also practiced in Bangladesh.

What materials and tools are used in this craft?

Tools: Needle and Thread
Materials: Re-used cloth such as those from saris and dhotis, silk threads, threads drawn from old sari borders and dhotis.

What is the Craft process?

The process involves laying the worn clothes in layers and stitching them together. Though the stitch used is variations of running stitch, the motifs can range from being simple to very intricate. 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 that means it can be anything the worker can relate to. There are seven different types of kantha based on how it is made and the end use.

Producer Groups practicing Kantha Embroidery
Self Help Enterprise (SHE)

Product categories made with Kantha
Shawls, Stoles, Sareed, Table Linen

Kantha Extended Documentation