Bikaner Kashidkari Craft
Embroidery
History
Kashidakari embroidery in Bikaner is rooted in the Meghwal community and was preserved by Pakistani refugees after the Indo-Pak partition. While men engaged in farming and animal husbandry, frequent droughts made survival difficult. Women, however, practiced embroidery as a traditional craft, creating items for weddings and household use. Over time, this art form evolved from a recreational activity into a crucial source of income, allowing refugee women to support their families using their inherited skills.
Raw Materials and Tools
Kashidakari embroidery uses cotton, silk, or velvet as the base fabric, stitched with vibrant silk or cotton threads. Small mirrors are a key feature, adding brilliance to the designs. The color palette includes bold hues like yellow, black, red, and green, creating striking contrasts. Essential tools include needles for chain stitching, scissors, tracing tools, and wooden embroidery frames to keep the fabric taut. Chisels or awls are used to prepare the fabric for mirror attachment, enhancing the intricate patterns.
Process
Artisans first put together a canvas of cotton, silk or velvet and then draw out the pattern of embroidery and stitch using chain stitch and various other embroidery techniques; the highlight is the mirror work—small pieces of mirror are attached through embroidery.
Design and Color
The colors are classic and vivid, with the most common being yellow, black, red, and green. Chain stitches are used to create rich patterns, and contrasting hues produce a striking effect. Trees, peacocks, and other motifs are used to counterbalance geometric shapes.
Product Range
All kinds of women's clothing, men's kurtas, cushion covers, dress materials, bed covers, bags, and other items are embroidered.