Embroidery by Region
The Embroidery Map of India
Every state stitches its own story. Tap a state or union territory to discover the embroidery or textile craft it is known for.
Political map of India for illustration, not to scale. External boundaries as depicted by the Survey of India. Drag to move, pinch or use the buttons to zoom.
Map last reviewed: . States and union territories are shown as they stood on that date. State outlines: DataMeet India community, CC BY 4.0, simplified.
Embroidery of India, state by state
The heritage crafts below are practised by hand by artisan communities across the country. Kashidha Designs does not make or sell them; they are the traditions that inspire our own made-to-order embroidery of each region's landmarks and motifs.
| State / union territory | Known for | About the craft | Links |
|---|---|---|---|
| Andaman & Nicobar Islands | Nicobari mat weaving & shell craft | Island communities are known for finely woven pandanus mats and shell ornament work rather than needlework. | Custom embroidery in Andaman & Nicobar Islands |
| Andhra Pradesh | Kamal Kadai & Banjara embroidery | Kamal Kadai builds flower petals by needle-weaving over long stitches; Banjara work adds mirrors, coins and bold geometric stitching. | Custom embroidery in Andhra Pradesh |
| Arunachal Pradesh | Loin-loom weaving & beadwork | Apatani, Adi and Monpa communities weave geometric textiles on the loin loom and finish them with bead ornament. | Custom embroidery in Arunachal Pradesh |
| Assam | Muga silk with woven motifs | Golden Muga and Eri silks carry woven buta motifs of flowers, birds and the Kaziranga rhino on mekhela chadors and gamosas. | Custom embroidery in Assam |
| Bihar | Sujani embroidery & Khatwa appliqué | Sujani fills layered cloth with fine running stitches that tell village stories; Khatwa is its bold cut-and-stitch appliqué cousin. | Custom embroidery in Bihar |
| Chandigarh | Phulkari | The shared capital of Punjab and Haryana inherits Phulkari, the 'flower work' darned in bright silk floss from the back of the cloth. | Custom embroidery in Chandigarh |
| Chhattisgarh | Kosa silk & Bastar tribal textiles | Known for wild Kosa (tussar) silk and the tribal weaves of Bastar, decorated with motifs drawn from forest life. | Custom embroidery in Chhattisgarh |
| Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu | Crochet lace & Warli motifs | Daman and Diu keep a Portuguese-era tradition of crochet and lace, while Dadra and Nagar Haveli is home to Warli figure motifs. | Custom embroidery in Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu |
| Delhi | Zardozi | Old Delhi's workshops have stitched Zardozi, metal-thread embroidery with sequins and beads, since the Mughal courts. | Custom embroidery in Delhi |
| Goa | Crochet & lace work | A Portuguese legacy: delicate crochet and lace for table linen, altar cloths and trims, still made in Goan homes. | Custom embroidery in Goa |
| Gujarat | Kutch embroidery | Rabari, Ahir, Soof and Mutwa communities each have their own style, famous for mirrors, chain stitch and dense geometric colour. | Custom embroidery in Gujarat |
| Haryana | Phulkari & Bagh | Haryana shares Phulkari with Punjab; in a Bagh ('garden') the silk floss covers the cloth so fully that the base fabric disappears. | Custom embroidery in Haryana |
| Himachal Pradesh | Chamba Rumal | A double-satin stitch worked so that the picture is identical on both sides of the cloth, often showing scenes from Krishna's life. | Custom embroidery in Himachal Pradesh |
| Jammu & Kashmir | Kashida, Sozni & Aari | Kashida draws chinar leaves, paisleys and birds in flowing stitches; Sozni is the fine needlework of pashmina shawls and Aari the hooked chain stitch. | Custom embroidery in Jammu & Kashmir |
| Jharkhand | Tussar silk & tribal motifs | A leading producer of wild tussar silk, often decorated with motifs borrowed from Sohrai and Kohvar wall art. | Custom embroidery in Jharkhand |
| Karnataka | Kasuti | Counted-thread embroidery from Dharwad, stitched without knots so both sides look alike, with temple, chariot and lotus motifs. | Custom embroidery in Karnataka |
| Kerala | Kasavu | The cream handloom with a gold zari border worn at Onam and weddings; the beauty is in the woven border rather than needlework. | Custom embroidery in Kerala |
| Ladakh | Pashmina & Namda | Home of the Changthangi goat whose wool becomes pashmina, alongside felted Namda rugs finished with chain-stitch patterns. | Custom embroidery in Ladakh |
| Lakshadweep | Coir craft | The islands are known for coir rope and mat making from coconut husk rather than for an embroidery tradition. | Custom embroidery in Lakshadweep |
| Madhya Pradesh | Zardozi of Bhopal | Bhopal's Zardozi is best known for the batua, a small drawstring purse covered in metal thread, beads and sequins. | Custom embroidery in Madhya Pradesh |
| Maharashtra | Banjara embroidery & Paithani | Banjara communities stitch mirrors and cowries into vivid geometric work; Paithani silk is prized for its woven peacock and lotus borders. | Custom embroidery in Maharashtra |
| Manipur | Manipuri embroidery | Worked on the borders of the phanek wrap, with named designs such as Akoybi (circles) and Tindogbi (inspired by a silk caterpillar). | Custom embroidery in Manipur |
| Meghalaya | Khneng embroidery | A rare Khasi tradition from Mustoh village, stitched on Eri silk with a centipede-like border pattern. | Custom embroidery in Meghalaya |
| Mizoram | Puan weaving | The Puanchei and other Mizo puans are woven on the loin loom with bold bands and intricate inlaid motifs. | Custom embroidery in Mizoram |
| Nagaland | Naga shawls | Each tribe's shawl carries its own colours and meaning, some embellished with cowrie shells and embroidered or painted central bands. | Custom embroidery in Nagaland |
| Odisha | Pipli appliqué | Bright cut-cloth shapes stitched onto a base fabric, first made for the canopies and umbrellas of the Jagannath Rath Yatra. | Custom embroidery in Odisha |
| Puducherry | French-influenced hand embroidery & crochet | A colonial-era tradition of fine whitework, lace and crochet taught in the town's convent workshops. | Custom embroidery in Puducherry |
| Punjab | Phulkari | 'Flower work': bright silk floss darned from the reverse of coarse khaddar cloth, traditionally made for weddings. | Custom embroidery in Punjab |
| Rajasthan | Gota Patti & mirror work | Gota Patti appliqués ribbons of gold and silver onto fabric; the desert districts add mirror work and bold Meghwal stitching. | Custom embroidery in Rajasthan |
| Sikkim | Lepcha weaving & Thangka appliqué | Lepcha weavers make striped textiles on the back-strap loom; monasteries commission silk appliqué Thangkas. | Custom embroidery in Sikkim |
| Tamil Nadu | Toda embroidery | Pukhoor, made by Toda women of the Nilgiris: red and black darning on cream cloth so fine it looks woven. | Custom embroidery in Tamil Nadu |
| Telangana | Banjara needlecraft | Lambadi women combine mirrors, shells and coins with herringbone and chain stitches in vivid colour. | Custom embroidery in Telangana |
| Tripura | Risa | A narrow handwoven cloth of the Tripuri communities, rich in inlaid motifs and given as a mark of honour. | Custom embroidery in Tripura |
| Uttar Pradesh | Chikankari & Zardozi | Lucknow's Chikankari is delicate white-on-white shadow work; the same city is famous for rich metal-thread Zardozi. | Custom embroidery in Uttar Pradesh |
| Uttarakhand | Rangwali Pichhora | The saffron ceremonial veil of Kumaon, dotted with red motifs and finished with tikki and gota trim. | Custom embroidery in Uttarakhand |
| West Bengal | Kantha | Layers of old saris quilted together with running stitch; Nakshi Kantha turns the stitches into pictures and stories. | Custom embroidery in West Bengal |