phulkari of panjab kulture and its daily life impacts

2. •Phulkari is a rural tradition art of crafting embroidered odhni
(head drape or shawl) used by women in Punjab, literally meaning
" flower work ", linked integrally with events considered to be
milestones in a woman's life.
• “PHUL” means “flower “and “KARI” means work. Also known as
“Gulkari” a very intricate needle work, along with bright coloured
threads mainly red, orange, blue, green, etc.
•The Phulkari is more than just an item of clothing; it’s a part of an
ethos steeped in social and ritualistic traditions.

3. ORIGIN
•Phulkari is brought to the Indian Subcontinent by the migrant Jat
people of Central Asia in ancient times.
•Techniques and patterns of phulkari were not documented but
transmitted by word of mouth. Hence, each regional group was
identifiable by its unique embroidery work.
•The tradition of phulkari was often associated with the Sikh heritage
but as it was also shared with Hindus and Muslims, it happens to be
more geographically specific than religiously specific.

4. GEOGRAPHICAL ORIGIN

5. •Phulkari has been mentioned in the famous, Punjabi folklore of
Heer Ranjha (a love tale) by Waris Shah whose ancestors migrated
to India from Iran.
• Its present form and popularity goes back to 15th century, during
Maharaja Ranjit Singh's Reign.
•The embroideries were a mere reflection of their life. Things that
they see, observe, vegetables that they eat, animals that they
owned, were embroidered. Every woman had her way of
embroidery, her way of representing.
HISTORY

6. PHOTOGRAPHS FROM HISTORY
Group of Punjabi Ladies, Circa 1905(Clifton and Co., Bombay)

7. •Embroidery work was invariably made on a plain cotton fabric
(khaddar) whose thread was manually spinned, loomed and dyed
with natural pigments.
•The actual embroidery was done with a Pat, the Punjabi word for
untwisted floss silk yarn. This yarn was sourced from China or
Afghanistan, and then dyed in Jammu and Amritsar.
MATERIALS

8. •Phulkari plays a very important role in a girl’s life. Birth of a girl marks
the beginning of the child’s grandmother of the task in creating the
future bride’s trousseau, which is worn by the bride when she walks
around the sacred fire during her wedding ceremony.
•When a woman gives birth to a boy she is given a Phulkari which is
worn by her when she goes out for the first time after delivery, and
during any religious festivals. Likewise when a lady dies her body is
covered with Phulkari.
•Phulkari was never fabricated for sale; it was embroidered by a family
for its own use.
IMPORTANCE OF PHULKARI

9. Khaddar could be of four colours,
White is given to mature women or widows
Red is associated with youth and is most widespread tone
Black and blue colours were kept for everyday worn shawls as they
prevented from revealing stains and dirt.
Importance of color threads,
Red symbolize passion,
White symbolize purity,
Golden or yellow symbolize desire and abundance,
Green symbolize nature and fertility,
Blue symbolize serenity,
Purple symbolize a symbiosis between red's energy and blue's calm,
Orange symbolize a mix of desire and divine energy.
IMPORTANCE OF COLOR

10. •Phulkari drapes had small amount of embroidery on them with floral
and geometrical motifs being predominant.
•The motifs in simple phulkari drapes as well as in elaborate bagh
pieces comprise of compositions that include not only flowers and
geometrical designs but also other symbols and items that are part of
the everyday life of the women who embroider these pieces.
•A name was given to a particular kind of embroidered bagh.
MOTIFS

11. Mirchi
Gulkerian
Velanian
Teen Patti
EXAMPLES OF MOTIFS

12. The motia- jasmine flower
The surajmukhi- sunflower
The genda- marigold
Lotus plant- kamal
Karela- bitter gourd
Gobhi- cauliflower
Dhania- coriander
Kanki- wheat
Mirchi- chilli
Lehriya bagh –wave
Mor -Peacock
Recently new motifs have been developed known as Parantha
(originally with eight colours), Kanchan Design, Butti Design etc.
POPULAR MOTIFS

13. EXAMPLES OF MOTIFS

14. EXAMPLES OF MOTIFS

15. •The embroidery is done for most part upon khaddar of irregular
thickness, generally with between 10-12 wrap threads per cm.
•Khaddar was woven in narrow strips and sewn together for the
required width.
•Designs and symmetries are created by embroidering from the back
face of the cloth. Hence, it was easier to embroider the fabric first and
then dye the base fabric(with such a preparation that the silk thread
does not get colored) so that the warps and wefts on the lighter color
are clearly visible.
TECHNIQUES

16. •Some times pattern to be embroidered were drawn on the fabric before
phulkari is done on khaddar.
•Most of the time, patterns to be embroidered were not drawn on the fabric
beforehand, the embroiderer had to count each thread of the khaddar with
meticulous care to build the designs.
•When a section of embroidery was completed, the fabric was rolled in a
clean white cloth to keep it from soiling while work continued on an
unembroidered part.
•As it was easier to count the threads of a light coloured khaddar than of a
dark one, it happened sometimes that the fabric was dyed only after the
embroidery work was achieved, by such techniques cotton is coloured but
not silk
TECHNIQUES

17. BLOCK PRINTED PATTERNS FOR PHULKARI

18. EMBROIDERY WITH STITCH COUNTING

19. DYING AFTER EMBROIDERY
A "chope" phulkari on beige khaddar,
probably before the embroidered piece got
dyed
A "chope" phulkari on red khaddar,
probably after the embroidered piece got
dyed

20. •Darning stitch was the most commonly used technique to make
phulkari and the quality of a piece could be measured according to
the width of this stitch. The narrowest was the stitch, the finest was
the piece.
•In order to create an unusual design or to border the khaddar, some
other stitches like the herringbone stitch, running stitch, Holbein
stitch or button hole stitch were occasionally used.
•To fill in the motif either satin stitch or a variation known as stop
stitch was preferred.
STITCHES

21. COMMON STITCHES OF PHULKARI

22. •There are mainly two types of phulkari
Bagh- Bagh literally means “garden of flowers”, and the term
distinguishes the flowered Phulkari is that the embroidery is so
profuse that the ground colour is no longer visible thus the
embroidery becomes the fabric itself.
Chope- Chope is usually embroidered on the borders. It is gifted
to the bride by her grandmother during some ceremony before
wedding.
•The “Chope” is embroidered straight with two sided line stitch which
appears same on both the side. Unlike Phulkari and Bagh where a variety
of colours are used, Chope is generally embroidered with one colour
(Golden or yellowish golden mostly).
TYPES OF PHULKARI

23. BAGH

24. CHOPE

25. •Shalimar and chaurasia baghs recall famous Mughal gardens.
•Ikka bagh- playing cards (diamond).
•Dhoop chhaon (sunlight and shade),
•Laharya (wave, patang (kite),
•Saru (Cypress),
•Suraj mukkhi (sunflower),
•Panchranga (five colours),
•Satranga (seven colours).
•The danga (river) bagh aptly depicts a row of blue wavy stripes on a
white ground.
TYPES OF BAGH

26. •Chand bagh recalls the play of moonlight with small white or beige
lozenges on a dark red field.
•The sheeshedar (mirror) phulkari is decorated with small circular
mirrors on a white ground.
•On many phulkaris, the form of a bird is embroidered over the whole
field, and the phulkaris are named accordingly, the most common
being the peacock (mor) and parrot (tota).
TYPES OF BAGH

27. GHUNGAT BAGH, WEST PUNJAB

28. SURAJMUKHI BAGH

29. VARI DA BAGH

30. •In west Punjab, following the birth of a boy, it was customary, to
begin a vari da bagh.
•The newborn's grandmother would place the first stitch on the
embroidery.
•This bagh would later be handed to the boy's bride on their wedding
day.
•Worked in yellow/gold yarn on a red ground, the colours symbolise
luck and fertility. The whole surface is covered with diamonds, each
enclosing a smaller diamond.
•In good pieces three sizes of concentric diamond are found, the
smallest again divided into quarters.
VARI DA BAGH

31. VARI DA BAGH

32. VARI DA BAGH

33. •The bawan bagh is very rare as only a few women were able to
fashion this type.
•Bawan means the number 52; in these pieces we usually find 52
different patterns.
•The field is subdivided into 42 or 48 rectangles, each containing a
different multicoloured motif. The remaining four or ten motifs are
placed in the side or end borders.
BAWAN BAGH

34. BAWAN BAGH

35. •Another more typical bagh is the darshan dwar bagh, meaning “the Gate
from which one sees the God”.
•From the eastern Punjab, this type always has a red ground; a series of
large peaked gates are drawn, from four to seven on either side
depending on their size and the dimensions of the cloth.
•The gates adjoin and open inwards; between them are images of
people, animals, flowers and plants, or even a railway.
•The roofs of the gates are worked in multicolored patterns of triangles
and diamonds. Often smaller gates are embroidered in the triangular
space between the selvedge and the gate roofs. but without figures.
• The gate motif was probably derived from the covered veranda which
surrounded the temple. These particular baghs were dedicated to the
temple after fulfillment of a wish.
DARSHAN DWAR BAGH

36. DARSHAN DWAR BAGH

37. •Among their patterns, these bagh include chains of small white
squares representing stylized cowries.
•From another point of view, the shape of these shells can remind of
female genitals and make them become symbols of fertility.
•Kaudi phulkari were often worn by women wanting to increase their
chance to become pregnant.
KAUDI BAGH

38. KAUDI BAGH

39. Meaning "Five colors", this bagh is decorated with chevrons of five
different colors. In The same way, similar pieces like satranga ("Seven
colors") bagh are also available.
PANCHRANGA BAGH

40. PANCHRANGA BAGH

41. This bagh, often made of gold and white coloured pat, is decorated
with small multicoloured lozenges referring to enamel work
(meenakari) or to "diamond" playing cards' suit.
MEENAKARI BAGH OR IKKA BAGH

42. MEENAKARI BAGH OR IKKA BAGH

43. Surajmujkhi, the sunflower, refers to the main pattern of this
phulkari.
From a technical point of view this type of phulkari is unique as it
is the only one that mixes in comparable proportions Holbein
stitch (used to make chope phulkari) and the regular darning
stitch.
SURAJMUKHI

44. SURAJMUKHI

45. •A rarer type of phulkari is the thirma, the name signifying a white
ground.
•Exclusively made by Hindus, they formed an important part of the
dowry of a woman from north-western Punjab.
•The floral patterns were embroidered in red, violet and green -
often so thickly that they give a velvety surface.
•The ends have characteristic diagonal rows in red satin stitch.
•The patterns of this type differ markedly from all other baghs and
phulkaris.
THIRMA

46. THIRMA

47. •Produced in east and southeast Punjab, sainchi phulkaris depict scenes of
everyday life in the motifs.
•The motifs were often marked on the cloth with ink and the sketch then
filled with darning stitch.
•Wool or cotton threads were often used instead of silk.
•Sainchis can be divided into two groups.
•The first have coloured representations on a red ground of human figures,
beasts, village scenes and so on, without symmetry and end borders.
•The second group, with black, dark brown or, very rarely, blue grounds, are
symmetrically drawn. Here we often see a pattern of five lotus flowers - a
large, vibrant blossom in the centre, the other four in the corners.
•Abstract peacocks often appear in the end borders, contributing to the
symmetry, while in between are yet more animals and objects, randomly
completing the design.
SANCHI

48. •Scenes of everyday life on sainchi include personal effects, such as
jewellery and combs, domestic animals, ox-carts and household
objects.
•We also see men playing dice games, spinning wheels, cooking or
other routine activities.
• Railway imagery is also used - a locomotive spewing thick smoke,
passengers looking out of carriage windows.
•Circus images with animals and acrobats are common. Especially
graphic are scenes featuring figures such as a begging yogi, or a
British official visiting a village.
SANCHI

49. SANCHI

50. SANCHI

52. SANCHI

54. There existed regional variations between phulkaris embroidered in
various areas of Punjab. These differences were visible in patterns,
motifs and colors as well as in the quality of the base cloth.
REGIONAL VARIATIONS

55. •The hindus and sikhs who practiced this art in western Punjab
(part of present day Pakistan) were organized and affluent. Thus,
the quality of the base cloth and of the floss silk yarn was finer
(and hence more expensive).
•The motifs drew there inspiration from Islam.
•The base cloth was either red or white and the silken floss was
usually in soft colors such as white, yellow, or pale orange.
•The designs were geometrical, never figurative, and the quality of
embroidery was exceptionally sophisticated.
WESTERN PUNJAB

56. •The khadi base and the floss were more vibrant and bold in terms of
colours and tones.
•Shades of red, and other colors of the pat were rich.
•The pallus of borders were heavily embroidered and the motifs
were dominantly inspired by the everyday life of the women:
jasmine flowers, gentle waves, household items and so on.
EASTERN PUNJAB

57. West Punjab East Punjab
DIFFERENCE BETWEEN PHULKARI BY REGION

58. •Today this vibrant folk art of Punjab is now embroidered not only on
shawls or dupattas but also on stolls, saris, bed covers, home
furnishings, etc in bright and vivid colours.
•Many people have started getting Phulkari personalised, where
some are using it as decorative piece, others are using them as
accessories like juttis (punjabi chappal), bags etc.
PRODUCTS

59. CONTEMPORARY PHULKARI PRODUCTS

60. •To obtain faster and cheaper production a coarser and looser style of
embroidery is being employed. With fast growing industries, schooling,
lack of interest for manual work, profitability, etc. the textile industry
today, is imitating this art with the help of machines.
•Phulkari today is not as detailed or time consuming.
•Today the woman does the embroidery from the top of the cloth
rather from the wrong side of the khaddar.
• Khaddar is being replaced by cotton, chiffon, georgette, crepe and
synthetic.
•Pat threads (self hand spun) by different range of fast coloured
synthetic threads and slowly people are being replaced by machines.
•Phulkari is getting a label of contemporary context.
PHULKARI TODAY

61. A WEDDING SHAWL FROM KOHISTAN (NORTH PAKISTAN) EMBROIDERED IN DARNING STITCH LIKE A PHULKARI

62. www.kunstpedia.com
www.craftrevival.com
www.dsource.in
www.indianheritage.biz
BIBLIOGRAPHY