Kasidakari (Kashida, kashida - kari ) is an

embroidery Embroidery is the craft of decorating fabric or other materials using a needle to apply thread or yarn. Embroidery may also incorporate other materials such as pearls, beads, quills, and sequins. In modern days, embroidery is usually seen on c ...

art associated with

Kashmir Kashmir () is the northernmost geographical region of the Indian subcontinent. Until the mid-19th century, the term "Kashmir" denoted only the Kashmir Valley between the Great Himalayas and the Pir Panjal Range. Today, the term encompas ...

, Bihar, Punjab and Himachal.

Name

Kashida is the local lingo for the embroidery. Kasidkari known as kashida - kari, is the Punjabi and

Hindi Hindi (Devanāgarī: or , ), or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi (Devanagari: ), is an Indo-Aryan language spoken chiefly in the Hindi Belt region encompassing parts of northern, central, eastern, and western India. Hindi has been de ...

for

needlework Needlework is decorative sewing and textile arts handicrafts. Anything that uses a needle for construction can be called needlework. Needlework may include related textile crafts such as crochet, worked with a hook, or tatting, worked with a ...

. It is also known as kasidakari.

Techniques and stitches

Various stitches are employed for Kashida work such as darning stitch, stem stitch, satin stitch and chain stitch. The base material for Kashida is cotton, wool or silk in a variety of colours like white, blue, yellow, purple, red, green and black. The stitches may vary with the material to be embroidered. Do - rukha'l embroidery (Chamba Kasidakari) has characteristics of its own which differentiates it from other forms of embroidery in India.

Sozni

The sozni stitch is used when uniformity is desired on both sides, like in choice.

Zalakdozi

Zalakdozi employs hook or aari to fill-in motifs with chain stitch. The chain stitch done with a hook is found on chogas (cloaks) and rugs with long and flowing designs.

Zari thread

Kashmiri couching using zari thread is a style of Kashida work in which a zari thread is laid on the fabric along a pattern and is held in place with another thread.

Use

To decorate costumes, Phirens, shawls, handkerchief and various household items like bed covers, cushion covers, lampshades, bags and other accessories.

References

Needlework Embroidery in India {{india-culture-stub