Weaving the tales of Phulkari

To a connoisseur of Phulkari embroidery, it is a mystique! Every stitch once placed on the fabric tells a story, a story that comes crafted in emotions taking the form of motifs. On a similar note, the book Phulkari from Punjab: Embroidery in Transition tells all such stories that take us to the past, present and future of the craft. The authors, Prof Anu H Gupta and Prof Shalina Mehta, in search of these stories, travelled to the villages of Punjab, which helped in tracing the history, different forms and designs of Phulkari. Anu says, “As a student of design and textiles, I always had keen interest in Phulkari. And since I belong to Samana, Patiala, embroidery used to be a hobby at that time. My research work was on the same subject and I have presented a paper in various international conferences. So, this book is the result of seven years of well-gathered knowledge. It is a joint effort with Shalina Mehta.”

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Panjab University is the common connection between the co-authors. Anu is an assistant professor at University Institute of Fashion Technology & Vocational Development and Shalina Mehta is a retired professor in Social and Cultural Anthropology from Department of Anthropology.

Meticulously researched, with text and pictures that bring to life the nearly lost craft, the book not only traces the history of Phulkari through the ages but also the craft’s decline and then revival. Shalina elaborates, “It comes off as a coffee table book with each fact and subject well-supported by a picture to give a better understanding to our readers. Furthermore, it includes the stories of various women artisans and their love for Phulkari. — Sheetal