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Phulkari: The pride of Punjab

Phulkari is the traditional embroidery of Punjab. Phulkari literally translated as Floral work, the designs include not only flowers but also cover geometrical shapes and other motifs. It was mainly used to make “odhanis.” For the people of Punjab, Phulkari is not just an embroidery, It is a tradition, a pious ceremony that begins with the birth of a child. Phulkari is made in both Indian and Pakistani region of Punjab although they are distinctly dissimilar to each other.

Traditionally Phulkari is done on Khaddar, with Pat. Khaddar is a thick hand spun cotton cloth, while Pat is the Punjabi word for untwisted floss silk yarn. Khaddar is dyed with colours with significance. The widows and elderly women wore white, red and orange were kept for girls. The basic stitch used in most Phulkari is darning stitch which is done on the wrong side so that the desired pattern emerges in front. Other stitches commonly used are chain, running, herringbone and buttonhole

Pattern darning is a simple and ancient embroidery technique in which contrasting thread is woven in-and-out of the ground fabric using rows of running stitches which reverse direction at the end of each row.

Phulkari is said to have entered India with the Jat community from central Asia. Iran is also considered as the original home of Phulkari as a similar type of embroidery called Gulkari is done there. Phulkari is mentioned in “Heer Ranjha”, a famous punjabi folklore by Waris shah whose ancestors lived in Iran.

Phulkari was never meant for commercial purposes. It was a part of rituals.

The making of Phulkari is interesting. The women of the neighbourhood are invited. With some rituals, folk song and gossip, the women not only sew their imagination but also pass the craft to the younger generation. Phulkari was never meant for commercial purposes. It was a part of family rituals. It plays an important role in a girl’s life. There is a phulkari associated with every special event of her life.

Phulkari can be distinguished on the basis of the colour of the base material, type of motifs and the stitches used. The different types of Phulkari are:

  • Thirma - This is done on white cloth, a sign of purity. The colours of the threads used are pink or shades of red. It is worn by elderly women and widows.

  • Sainchi - This beautifully depicts the life of rural Punjab. The patterns range from local people,birds,animals, flowers, fruits and vegetables and even means of transport. It is very rare to find this as it is done mostly in Ferozepur and Bathinda districts.

  • Darshan dwar - This is literally translated as “The gate to see god”. Created to be offered at the Gurdwara upon the fulfilment of any wish or at an important event of life. Scenes from rural life, people, birds, plants etc. are depicted in embroidery.

  • Chope - This is a dupatta made for protection from evil. It is made by the bride’s maternal grandmother and is used for wrapping the bride after the ritual bath on her wedding day. It was also used to cover the gifts for blessing. It is done with yellow and golden threads.

  • Bagh - In this style the stitches are so dense that the base material is hardly visible. Bagh means a ‘Garden’ was made to be worn on wedding and special occasions. It was considered a status symbol of Punjabi family. The bagh itself is consider an umbrella term of several similar types of embroidery. There are many variations in Bagh, each having a name according to the motifs. A bawan bagh has 52 different patterns, while Panchranga and Satranga is made with five and seven different coloured threads, Meenakaris made of white and golden pat and Phulkari using mirrors is called Chhamaas.

  • Vari-da-bagh - This is made by the boy’s mother to be given as a gift to her daughter-in-law, when she enters her new home. It is always made of red or orange khaddar with golden yellow thread which symbolizes happiness and fertility.

Phulkari is a difficult and time consuming craft. It requires artistic skills and patience. With the commercialization, Phulkari has gone through a lot of changes. It has moved from homes to factories where it is done with machines. Rarely you can find a bawan bagh with all 52 motifs. Even threads are getting thicker too.

Now one can find sarees, salwar suits, tops, Bedcovers, wall hangings etc. with Phulkari designs. The old rough khaddar is also replaced by a variety of modern fabric. Synthetic threads in a variety of colours are favoured instead of traditional Pat. The machine made products are easily available at an affordable price. It is unfortunate fact that this tradition, in its original form is now almost lost. Some associations have been trying hard to keep this art alive, but nowadays phulkari are almost exclusively industrially made.

References:

https://missing-dots.in/embroideries/phlulkari-pride-of-punjab/ Sapna Rani Kulshreshtha