Kasuti ( kn, ಕಸೂತಿ) is a traditional form of folk embroidery practised in the state of

Karnataka Karnataka (; ISO: , , also known as Karunāḍu) is a state in the southwestern region of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, with the passage of the States Reorganisation Act. Originally known as Mysore State , it was renamed ''Karnat ...

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

. An

exhibition An exhibition, in the most general sense, is an organized presentation and display of a selection of items. In practice, exhibitions usually occur within a cultural or educational setting such as a museum, art gallery, park, library, exhibition ...

of Kasuti work is reported by Kasuti work which is very intricate sometimes involves putting up to 5,000 stitches by hand and is traditionally made on dresswear like

Ilkal Ilkal is a City in Bagalkot district in the Indian state of Karnataka. The town is located in a valley that lies in south-east corner of Bagalkot district and is quite close to the borders of Kushtagi taluk of the Koppal district.Now Ilkal city ...

sarees, Ravike/ Kuppasa(Khana) and

Angi Angi (formerly Angie's List) is an American home services website owned by Angi Inc., a publicly-traded subsidiary of IAC. Founded in 1995 by Angie Hicks and William S. Oesterle, it allows users to search for contractors to provide paid hom ...

. The

Handicrafts Development Corporation (KHDC) holds a

geographical indications A geographical indication (GI) is a name or sign used on products which corresponds to a specific geographical location or origin (e.g., a town, region, or country). The use of a geographical indication, as an indication of the product's source, ...

(GI) protection for Kasuti embroidery which provides

intellectual property Intellectual property (IP) is a category of property that includes intangible creations of the human intellect. There are many types of intellectual property, and some countries recognize more than others. The best-known types are patents, cop ...

rights on Kasuti to KHDC. History of Kasuti is mentioned by

History

The history of Kasuti dates back to the

Chalukya The Chalukya dynasty () was a Classical Indian dynasty that ruled large parts of southern and central India between the 6th and the 12th centuries. During this period, they ruled as three related yet individual dynasties. The earliest dynas ...

period. The name ''Kasuti'' is derived from the words ''Kai'' (meaning hand) and ''Suti/suttu'' (meaning wrap/weave), indicating an activity that is done using cotton and hands. The origin of Kasuti is discussed by The women courtiers in the

Mysore Kingdom The Kingdom of Mysore was a realm in southern India, traditionally believed to have been founded in 1399 in the vicinity of the modern city of Mysore. From 1799 until 1950, it was a princely state, until 1947 in a subsidiary alliance with Brit ...

in the 17th century were expected to be adept in 64 arts, with Kasuti being one of them. The Kasuti embroidery features folk designs influenced by rangoli patterns of

. In Karnataka Sarees embroidered with Kasuti were expected to be a part of the bridal trousseau of which one saree made of black silk with Kasuti embroidery called ''Chandrakali saree'' was of premier importance.

Kasuti work

Kasuti work involves embroidering very intricate patterns like

gopura A ''gopuram'' or ''gopura'' ( Tamil: கோபுரம், Malayalam: ഗോപുരം, Kannada: ಗೋಪುರ, Telugu: గోపురం) is a monumental entrance tower, usually ornate, at the entrance of a Hindu temple, in the South I ...

chariot A chariot is a type of cart driven by a charioteer, usually using horses to provide rapid motive power. The oldest known chariots have been found in burials of the Sintashta culture in modern-day Chelyabinsk Oblast, Russia, dated to c. 2000&nbs ...

palanquin The litter is a class of wheelless vehicles, a type of human-powered transport, for the transport of people. Smaller litters may take the form of open chairs or beds carried by two or more carriers, some being enclosed for protection from the el ...

, lamps and

conch shell Conch () is a common name of a number of different medium-to-large-sized sea snail, sea snails. Conch shells typically have a high Spire (mollusc), spire and a noticeable siphonal canal (in other words, the shell comes to a noticeable point a ...

s. Locally available materials are used for Kasuti. The work is laborious and involves counting of each thread on the cloth. The patterns are stitched without using knots to ensure that both sides of the cloth look alike. A detailed description of Kasuti work is provided by Different varieties of stitches are employed to obtain the desired pattern. Four types of the stitches employed are ''Gavanthi'', ''Murgi'', ''Negi'' and ''Menthi''.A brief description of Kasuti is provided by ''Gavanthi'' is a double running stitch used for marking vertical, horizontal and diagonal lines, ''Murgi'' is a zig-zag stitch, ''Negi'' is a running stitch and ''Menthi'' is a cross stitch resembling fenugreek seeds.

Current scenario

Kasuti work has grown beyond its traditional boundaries to be used in other dress materials like the

Mysore Mysore (), officially Mysuru (), is a city in the southern part of the state of Karnataka, India. Mysore city is geographically located between 12° 18′ 26″ north latitude and 76° 38′ 59″ east longitude. It is located at an altitude of ...

silk saree.Mysore silk sarees using Kasuti work is mentioned by A Kasuti centre was set up in

Hubli Hubli, officially known as Hubballi, is a city in the Indian state of Karnataka. The twin cities Hubli–Dharwad form the second largest city in the state by area and population and the largest city in North Karnataka. Hubli is in Dharwad distr ...

by the Department of Social Welfare, Government of

to encourage the Kasuti culture and also provide a single roof for the rural women to showcase their craft. However Kasuti work is suffering from poor patronage with not many people willing to take the craft seriously; an indication of which is the closure of the ''Karnataka Kasuti'' classes by the JSS college in

Dharwad Dharwad (), also known as Dharwar, is a city located in the north western part of the Indian state of Karnataka. It is the headquarters of the Dharwad district of Karnataka and forms a contiguous urban area with the city of Hubballi. It was merge ...

. Image:Kasuti.jpg, Kasuti embroidery work on silk depicting

ratha Ratha ( Proto-Indo-Iranian: ''*Hrátʰas'', Sanskrit: रथ, '; Avestan: ''raθa'') is also known as the Indo-Iranian term for a spoked-wheel chariot or a cart of antiquity. Harappan Civilisation The Indus Valley Civilization sites of Dai ...

Notes

External links

Kamat's Potpourri - The History, Mystery, and Diversity of India
{{Embroidery Culture of Karnataka Embroidery in India Geographical indications in Karnataka

History

Kasuti work

Current scenario

See also

Notes

External links