Punjab artisans bring forgotten traditions to life at IITF

At the 44th India International Trade Fair (IITF), the Punjab pavilion stands out not just for its brick-wall facade inspired by traditional Nanakshahi architecture, but for the brilliance of two artisans who carry forward crafts that are steadily vanishing from public memory.

When The Tribune visited the pavilion, two artists, working side by side, drew crowds simply by doing what they have done for decades: practising their art with the patience and pride that comes from a lifetime of devotion.

Phulkari: A dying art kept alive by a lecturer-turned-artisan

With a vibrant dupatta stretched across her lap, Gurinder Kaur Bhullar embroidered bright phulkari motifs as visitors watched patterns take shape. The colours of Pat threads, yellow, burgundy, pink, purple, blue and green, shimmered against coarse khaddar, each stitch bringing generations-old tradition back to life.

“This is all authentic phulkari work,” she said, her hands never pausing. “I have dupattas, pillows, bedspreads, Patiala salwars, stoles, shawls, even sarees. I started when I was eight or ten. The first dupatta I made was for my aunt’s wedding when I was only 12.”

A former college lecturer, Bhullar returned to her craft after leaving academia. “People today don’t know this art. It is almost dead. Many sell things under the name of phulkari but they are not authentic. I can promise that every piece here is real, traditional work.”

In phulkari, artisans create motifs using the darn stitch on the reverse of hand-spun khaddar cloth. Beyond clothing, the technique adorns cushion covers, curtains, bedspreads, wall hangings and even decorative fans and hand file covers, transforming everyday items into heirlooms.

A 50-year journey with wood and hammer

Just beside her sat 67-year-old wooden inlay artisan Gurmail Chand, from Hoshiarpur, shaping intricate designs into wooden rolling pins with a small hammer, one steady tap at a time. He has spent more than 50 years practising Hoshiarpur’s famed wood inlay craft, a tradition nearly 300 years old.

“I was the first in my family to learn this art,” he said. “My family worked as labourers and wanted me to learn something that would keep me away from harsh work. I didn’t earn anything for the first four years. I only learnt. That is how I became what I am today.”

Chand showcases items such as chaklas, belans, charkhas, birsas, madanis and decorative pieces. Prices for smaller items range from Rs 100 to Rs 400. But the more intricate inlay work, like the chess pieces he makes for hotels, can take weeks and sell for Rs 7,000-Rs 8,000, eventually fetching far more in high-end markets.

He received the state award in 1984-85 for excellence in wood inlay, a craft once practised widely across Hoshiarpur and its neighbouring villages. Earlier artisans used ivory for inlay, until it was fully banned in 1989. Today, designs are created using acrylic, bone, shell or coloured plastics set into hollows carved in shisham, teak or rosewood.

A pavilion designed to tell Punjab’s story—not sell it

Away from the stalls, pavilion officials explained that this year’s display is less about commercial sales and more about documenting Punjab’s industrial evolution.

Partnering with Tamil Nadu for design inspiration, the pavilion recreates the look of old Punjab brick homes using Nanakshahi-style walls and arches.

“This time, only government departments are here — no private entities,” a pavilion representative said. “Our focus is not sales. We wanted to show what is happening in Punjab, what revolutions are taking place in the state’s industries.”

At the centre of the pavilion, counters showcase everything from tractor parts and metal manufacturing to dairy products, textiles and agricultural innovations. Phulkari artisans, Hoshiarpuri inlay craftsmen and textile makers sit alongside displays from Markfed, Verka and other government wings.

“We wanted people to see what the government is doing, what Punjab is producing, and how traditional arts continue to survive,” the official said.