Kantha

 ( Asian Folk Art ) 

Kantha (Bengali: ; Hindi: ), also spelled kanta or qanta, is a type of embroidery craft in Bangladesh and eastern regions of India, particularly in the Indian states of West Bengal, Tripura and Odisha. In Odisha, old are stacked on each other and hand-stitched to make a thin piece of cushion. This is normally used above a bed cushion or instead of a cushion. Kantha are traditionally worn by women in the Bengal region. In the modern day, embroidery is stitched, popularly known as 'kantha stitched", on sari, kurta (or panjabi) and churidar and many other garments and gaining popularity due to their aesthetic value and handmade characteristics.

Kantha stitching is also used to make simple quilts, commonly known as nakshi kantha. Women in Bengal typically use old saris and cloth and layer them with kantha stitching to make a light blanket, throw, or bedspread, especially for children. Kantha is very popular with tourists visiting the Bengal region of the Indian subcontinent.

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Etymology The word kantha has no discernible etymological root. The exact origin of the word is not precisely known, although it probably has a precursor in kheta (meaning "field" in Bengali language). According to Niaz Zaman, the word kantha originates from the Sanskrit word kontha, which means rags, as kantha is made of rags. Its name in Bengali also varies from dialect to dialect and may be known as কাঁথা, খেতা, কেন্থা, শুজনি romanized in ISO standard 15919 as kām̐thā, khētā, kēnthā, śujani respectively.

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Weave Kantha is a form of embroidery often practised by rural women. The traditional form of Kantha embroidery was done with soft and saris, with a simple running stitch along the edges. Depending on the use of the finished product they were known as Lepkantha or Sujni Kantha.

The embroidered cloth has many uses including shawls, covers for mirrors, boxes, and pillows. In some cases, the entire cloth is covered with running stitches, employing beautiful motifs of flowers, animals, birds and geometrical shapes, as well as themes from everyday activities. The stitching on the cloth gives it a slightly wrinkled, wavy effect. Contemporary kantha is applied to a wider range of garments such as sarees, dupatta, shirts for men and women, bedding and other furnishing fabrics, mostly using cotton and silk. Modern Kantha-stitch craft industry involves a very complex multi-staged production model.Roy, Paramita and Sattwick Dey Biswas (2011). Opportunities and Constraints of the Kantha-stitch craftswomen in Santiniketan: a value chain analysis. Journal of Social Work and Social Development (). pp. 5–9.

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See also

• Textile arts of Bangladesh
• Embroidery of India
• Nakshi kantha

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Sources

• Perveen Ahmad (1997). 9789845850001, Bangladesh National Museum. ISBN 9789845850001
• Niaz Zaman (1993). 9789840512287, University Press. ISBN 9789840512287

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Further reading

• The Art of Kantha embroidery, by Niaz Zaman. University Press, 1993. .
• Jasleen Dhamija (2025). 9788170174509, Abhinav Publications. . ISBN 9788170174509
• Kantha: the embroidered quilts of Bengal, by Darielle Mason, Pika Ghosh, Katherine Hacker, Anne Peranteau. Yale University Press, 2010. .
• Kantha, by John Gillow, Pratapaditya Pal, Courtenay McGowen, and Rob Sidner. Mingei International Museum and Radius Books, 2017. .
• Kantha Work, by Juby Aleyas Koll. Sarah's Hand Embroidery Tutorials, 2021.

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