As delightful and festive winter is, similarly inspiring and captivating are the many different kinds of embroidery art prevalent in India. Much of the Indian embroidery is hand-done, and the talent and its glorious expression lives and dies with the artisan. The skill however is passed on to others in the family, and that is how it survives and thrives honed further by every new generation. There are villages and regions in India, which are named just for the kind of magical embroidery and art form they weave to perfection.
These are truly weaves of antiquity, honed over hundreds of years. There are literally tens of spellbinding embroidery styles. Some of the famous ones are: Kutch, Chikan, Zari, Zardosi, Phulkari, Kantha and Banarsi.
Zardosi is the royal embroidery, which is practiced skillfully in the cities of Lucknow and Agra, the city that is home to the Taj Mahal. The Zardosi embroidery can be traced back to the sixteenth century, when Emperors and aristocrats cherished Zardosi embroidery for its detail, intricate patterns and sheer golden opulence. A North Indian bride carries with her an elaborate zardosi trousseau.
Similarly, Zari is the over 500 years old Indian art of embroidery using gold and silver threads. The Zari handwork is extremely fine, and requires great skill, patience and creativity, that ultimately creates an iridescent and exquisite pattern. Zari embroidery has long adorned saris and other Indian ethnic costumes, and now is used by top designer houses in their apparel and accessories lines.
The famous Kutch embroidery is from the Kutch region in Western India. They are distinctive in their use of bright, silkish threads and the liberal use of mirrors for accents.
Chikan is the graceful thread style embroidery made popular in the royal city of Lucknow. Chikan literally translated means embroidery. It is said that the embroidery was originally introduced to design clothes of Queen Noor Jahan, the beautiful mother of Mughal Emperor Shah Jehan, who built the Taj Mahal. Chikan embroidery is typically in untwisted white cotton (and now even silk) thread and the design is dictated by the variety of stitches used, which give it resemblance to the Belgian lacework and the French knot work.
Kantha embroidery is a thread style embroidery which is famous in the West Bengal region, the home of the famous Bengal Tiger. The word Kantha means patchwork embroidery. The embroidery is done exclusively by Bengali women in their homes. The signature of the Kantha embroidery, is that the thread is carried over the surface in running stitches to produce a series of dotted lines.
The striking think about tunics on ShopIndia is the unbelievable range of fabric, colors and embroidery. The hand embroidery breathes life into the kurta. The range extends from formal to casual in regular to plus sizes for girls, women and tweens. Step in for Boho Kurtas and Jewelry.