TRADITIONAL

EMBROIDERIES OF
PUNJAB
• Traditional embroidery of Punjab is Phulkari.
• ‘Phul’ means flower and ‘Kari’ means work or the technique in
which it is done.
• It is done with dazzling colors on shawls, duppattas and dresses.
• Phulkari= garments of every use
• Bagh= heavily embroidered
• Gurgaon, thissar, rohtak, kurnal and Delhi are places where
phulkari is found.
• Phulkari is symbol of happiness, prosperity and suhag of a married
woman.
History of Phulkari:
• There is reference of Phulkari in Vedas, Mahabharata and guru
granth sahib and even in folk songs of Punjab.
• Phulkari is mainly influenced by Persian art
• This embroidery is similar to Persian embroidery which is known
as Gulkari and it has same meaning.
• Must have been originated during the 15th or 16th centuries.
• A rumal embroidered by the sister of Sikh guru ‘Guru Nanak’
known as shamla were embroidered during fifteenth century.
Phulkari has three main types:-
1. Chaddar= Auspicious veil or dupatta of a bride worn during
phera. Always red in color .
2. Bagh= Bagh has
geometric design which
is inter-connected.
3. Chope= Red Khaddar
shawl embroidered by
using yellow colour floss
thread. It is represented
to the new bride by her
maternal grandmother.
It is embroidered in
straight two sided line
stitch.
Stitches used:-
• Darning stitch
• Stem, chain, button
hole and herring bone
stitches= edging
Fabric Used:
• Hand spun and hand woven
khaddar material is used for
phulkari.
• Phulkari involves counting of
threads and coarse weave make
it easy this khaddar material is
dyed with the help of natural
dyes.
• Red, blue, black, rust, madder
brown and white colors are
used as base colours of
khaddar.
Threads Used–
• Untwisted yarn.
• It is known as ‘pat’.
• Colors used are red,
orange, green, white,
golden, yellow and
deep blue.
• Bright colours are
usually used in
phulkari.
MOTIFS USED:-
• Geometrical patterns, floral designs.
• Motifs from everyday life are also taken.
• Basic geometric shapes like triangle square, rectangular, vertical and
horizontal line are used to produce complicated patterns.
• Stylized motifs such as parrot, lotus or rolling pins.
• A variety of flowers like lotus, cotton and sunflower are also embroidered.
• Few fruits and vegetables are used.
• Domestic and royal animals such as cow, buffalo, goat, cat, rat, donkey,
rabbit, pig, frog, tortoise, camel, horse, birds, like hen, chicken, sparrow,
pigeon, crow and owl.
• Along with it household articles like utensils, rolling pin, brass urn, and
pitcher are also used.
Types of Bagh:-
• Completely embroidered cloth so that base cloth should
not be visible.
• Whole back is embroidered with two shades like yellow
and white, orange and yellow or green and crimson.
• Base cloth= dark colour
• Geometrical motifs are used.
Ghunghat Bagh:-

• Veil usually worn by bride

to cover the head.
• The triangle part which
covers face is
embroidered.
• Sarpallu is another type of
veil which is used in east
Punjab is called sarpallu.
• Red color with golden
yellow and multicolored
motifs.
Vari Da- Bagh
• Vari means ‘gifts’ which includes
clothes and jewelry articles
presented to the bride from
groom’s side.
• Made by the grandmother of
the groom almost taking four
years to complete, forms an
important items of the vari.
• Base fabric is red and
embroidery is done with yellow
color.
Velinian Bagh

• ‘Rolling pin’ the

domestic kitchen
device is used as
motif in this
bagh.
• Rows of rolling
pins are worked
in different color
combination.
Bawan Bagh (Bagh with 52
motifs)
• 52 different geometrical
designs are embroidered.
• Each motif is worked in a small
square and it has geometrical
border.
• Bright colors are usually used.
• This is a very intricate type of
bagh only women folk are
expert in this art.
Suraj Mukhi
Bagh
• Suraj Mukhi bagh
is popular in
eastern Punjab.
• This bagh is
covered with
geometrical
designs built up
lozenges
arranged
diagonally.
Types of Phulkari:-
Chope-
• Red colored phulkari veil presented by material
grandmother of the bride at her wedding function.
• Both sides= same
• Golden yellow pat is used in triangular designs.
• Border is embroidered with triangular designs.
• Body = small triangle which are scattered.
• It is embroidered very finely and delicately so that it looks
similar from both sides.
Subhar-
• Rich, gorgeous red
coloured phulkari
worn by bride
during her
wedding at the
time of pheras.
• It has a central and
four corner motifs
where the center
has group of five
motifs.
Til Patra-
• Embroidered on
inferior and
inexpensive
khaddar.
• Small sesame seeds
motifs scarcely
embroidered.
• It is generally
presented to
maids.
Milak-
• Blue colored
phulkari.
• Embroidery = yellow
and crimson pat.
• Done on black
khaddar.
• Household motifs
like comb, fan,
umbrella or rumal
and flowers are
commonly
Darshan Dwar or Darwaza-
• Presentation in temples
or to adorn the walls of
the home when the
granth sahib is brought
into a house.
• Motif used is decorative
gate but motifs like fauna
and flora like sunflowers,
peacock, red chilies are
also embroidered.
Thirma-
• White khaddar is
known as thirma.
• It is presented by
bride’s family.
Sainchi Phulkari-
• Folk embroidery of
Malwa region of Punjab
which shows true rural
life.
• Various activities of rural
life are used as motifs on
sainchi phulkari such as
ploughing, harvesting, a
water carrier, smocking
hukka, guests drinking
sharbat, wrestling scenes.
Nazar Butti-
• The small corner or
portion of the design is
kept unembroidered to
show that the work is
incomplete it main
purpose it to drag off the
evil eye.
• Sometime dark color floss
is used to embroider the
corner like blue and black
or purple.
CHOPE EMBROIDERY
• Traditional embroidery of Punjab is chope.
• Material being coarse khaddar, worked with double satin
stitch, designs are never traced but always memorized.
• Out line is completed with running stitch using black color
motifs are either geometrical or stylized floral they are
worked by counting threads.
• Articles like pillow, cushion, sofa, table covers, bed
spreads and covers are prepared.