Godadi or Gudri is a word used to refer to a quilt. A variant of the word exists in several Indian languages, including Hindi, Marathi language, Urdu, Gujarati, Konkani language, Kannada, and Punjabi language, and other north Indian and southern languages and dialects. Godadi is a special kind of patchwork quilt which may be Embroidery and is made of multiple kinds of cloth.
Traditionally, Godadi was handmade by housewives in various parts of India. In some places, such as Maharashtra, Gujarat, and north India, bits from used clothing, including Sari and Dupatta, would be stitched together, sometimes in decorative patterns. In Konkan, very finely embroidered and intricately patched godadis are given as a part of bride's Dowry. In East India, especially Odisha and Bengal, they are also called "Kantha".
A variant of the godadi is razai, though razais are thicker and can also have cotton stuffing for more warmth during winters.
History
In 19s, there were no factories or production outlets for
woollen or
cotton blankets in much of India. Unused or worn pieces of clothing items like
Indian shirt,
Sari, and
Dupatta were collected over time. Women would collect items and create a design, then cut the cloth into shapes and sew them together to construct the quilt. Over time, pieces of
Cotton cloth became available in the market, which helped girls and housewives to make a decorated quilt by embedding them with different designs. The tradition of making handmade blankets has continued into the 21st century. Due to cultural value placed on traditional designs, these blankets remain popular and are used by many people in India. Quilts now are the modern fad that are sewn with new cloth material in upscale boutiques across India.
Availability of handmade Godadi
To date, there are many places and stores where handmade Godadis are sold. There are a variety of Godadis, such as designed Godadi from the same piece of cotton cloth, embroidered Godadi and Godadi from patched clothes.
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