Centre of Excellence for Phulkari opens

Many researchers and scholars on Punjab’s history believe that the early mention of Phulkari happened in Waris Shah’s Heer, where Heer describes her wedding trousseau.

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The famous handloom from Punjab also finds mention in Guru Nanak Dev’s bani, where he states that a woman can only be considered accomplished when she can embroider her own blouse (mentioning kasida of Phulkari).

As the history goes, in Punjab, when daughters were born into a household, the grandmothers, mothers and women in the family would start embroidering Phulkari, as it would make for a prized item in her daaj (dowry). Births, weddings and any auspicious occasion in the family would have the women dressed up in traditional finery, with the Phulkari Bagh draped to complete the look. The craft, which is now among the most popular handlooms in the country, originated in rural Punjab.

With a growing market and dwindling number of craftsmen and weavers left for this traditional craft, the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH), in a major initiative, has set up a Centre of Excellence on hand-embroidered Phulkari at Sugga village in Tarn Taran, which has held deep cultural significance for centuries in Punjab.

Maj-Gen Balwinder Singh, VSM (retd), INTACH, Punjab, state convener, said they were are making all-out efforts to revive the art and crafts local industry in Punjab. Phulkari, which literally means “flower work”, traditionally served as an integral part of a Punjabi bride’s trousseau. The main element of phulkari is the cross darn stitch on the wrong side of the coarse cotton cloth, also called Khaddar, with coloured silken thread.

“With machine work overtaking the original hand-embroidered work in Phulkari took back stage. Of late, people have realised the importance of original traditional work, hence efforts are under way to revive the exquisite traditional embroidery of Punjab; the authentic hand-embroidered phulkari craft in its purest form starting at Sugga village,” said Dr Baljit Kaur, who is the Tarn Taran in-charge of INTACH and heading this project.

“We have identified more than 50 women, all from nearby villages, who will be trained to identify their aptitude and skill. Training is being carried out by Sunaina Suneja, an expert in Phulkari hand-woven embroidery. Initially, 15-day training and thereafter, on requirement basis again will be called,” said Dr Baljit.

After identifying their aptitude, training for one month or more, these women will be hand held in setting up small embroidery units for creating phulkari products for financial support. Sunaina Suneja, a designer and revivalist, who has extensively worked on revival of Phulkari in the Nabha belt and commercialise it through modern designs, said the revival of traditional Phulkari represents more than just preservation of a craft. ‘It’s about maintaining cultural identity and creating economic opportunities. With proper support and recognition, this initiative could serve as a model for other traditional craft-revival projects across Punjab.” Maj-Gen Singh (retd) said he aimed at creating one centre of excellence in every district of Punjab on various crafts.