• Rinku
• Prof. (Dr.) Madhu Sharan

Kantha is embroidery of West Bengal which has its origin in the reuse of old saris and dhotis worn by women and men of West Bengal. The art originated as a household craft mainly practiced by rural Bengali housewives. This embroidery was done using colored threads taken out from the borders of old saris. The base fabric was made by using layers of old saris and dhotis. At that time rural women produced furnishing items like bed spread, wallet, cloth wrappers, mirror cover, floor covering etc with Kantha embroidery. It was also used as a medium of cultural and religious significance. The Kantha embroidered products were mandatory for ceremonies like marriages birth, and religious rituals. In Kantha the stitches used were very simple but the compositions were done very creatively. The motifs embroidered were derived from ancient art and these symbols were reflection of nature such as sun, the tree of life and the universe. They also were inspired from the surrounding and day to day life of human being. The embroidery which began as a household work has been taken up by the designers and they have brought it to the niche market along with giving jobs to many women. This paper discusses how designers have elevated the status of Kantha embroidery and empowered women to be an entrepreneur.

Kantha, Innovation, Diversity, Entrepreneurship.

"The Status Elevation of Kantha embroidery from Rugs to Richest", International Journal of Emerging Technologies and Innovative Research (www.jetir.org), ISSN:2349-5162, Vol.5, Issue 11, page no.1062-1068, November-2018, Available :http://www.jetir.org/papers/JETIRK006163.pdf

"The Status Elevation of Kantha embroidery from Rugs to Richest", International Journal of Emerging Technologies and Innovative Research (www.jetir.org | UGC and issn Approved), ISSN:2349-5162, Vol.5, Issue 11, page no. pp1062-1068, November-2018, Available at : http://www.jetir.org/papers/JETIRK006163.pdf