In Hindi, the word Kantha means ‘throat’ and is associated with Lord Shiva. While in Sanskrit, the word “kontha” means rags. Kantha is a popular style of embroidery that comes from West Bengal and is a significant symbol displaying the skill and talent of the rural women in Bengal. Traditionally this embroidery was used for quilts, dhotis, and sarees, but over a period it has evolved and made it's way right into the heart of Indian fashion. The yarn is taken from old saree borders; the design is then traced and finally covered with running stitches. Today this kind of embroidery can be found on shawls, pillow covers, dupattas, and home furnishings.
Traces of this art form have been found from the first and second A.D. which makes it perhaps one of the oldest forms of embroidery art in India. The thought behind this needlework was to reuse old clothes and materials and turn them into something new. This is what makes Kantha embroidery only one of its kind.
Kantha work is approximately 500 years old, and there is a myth surrounding it which points out that Lord Buddha and his disciples used old rags with different kinds of patchwork to cover themselves with at night, and this gave the Kantha embroidery its origin. Traditionally women would take 4 to 5 sarees, layer them together and create different running stitches on them which they then used as blankets to cover their children with. However, what started as a way to make life more comfortable went on to become a big trend in clothes and furniture as well.
The face behind the revival of this skill and technique is Shamlu Dudeja, who is a revolutionary and teacher, and more importantly, the one who realized the importance of this craftwork. She got introduced to Kantha in 1986 and realized the potential of the Kantha artisans whom she met at a local fair. She took it upon herself to further the cause of reviving and revising Kantha. She not only empowered herself but all the rural artisans in the villages. As the popularity of Kantha spread, Shamlu along with her daughter Malika established Malika and Kantha Collection (MKC), the marketing organization to promote Kantha globally. Soon after that, they set up Self Help Enterprise (SHE) an NGO which was formed to work towards the welfare of Kantha artisans.
There are 7 different types of Kantha stitches. The first kind is the Lep Kantha, which is used to make warm, padded quilts. Then there is the Sujani Kantha which is used to make bed covers for ceremonial occasions. Baiton Kantha is used on covers meant to wrap books and other precious objects. Oaar Kantha is used on pillow covers, while Archilata Kantha is used for covering mirrors and usually comes with colorful motifs and borders. Durjani Kantha is small pieces used to make the insides of a wallet, and the last kind is the Rumal Kantha which is used to cover plates and come with a lotus motif right in the center.
The demand for this type of embroidery is not limited to India alone, but designers from all around the globe have also reached out to local sellers and have used this embroidery in their designs as well. Kantha work is famous worldwide and Indian designers who use this embroidery to promote originality in their style help make Kantha work accessible. Kantha work has been around for centuries and with the current development in its technique and the different styles that it brings to the table, Kantha embroidery has become a favorite form of stitch work with designers across the globe.
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