Kantha embroidery

her life

‘Kantha Didi’ takes Bengal’s age-old art to global recognition

Meet ‘Kantha Didi’ Tajkira Begum, a self-professed go-getter who has sewed together a narrative of personal resilience, professional excellence and social inclusion using Bengal’s revered kantha stitch.

her life

SFURTI: Helping farmers to become artisans with a novel scheme

Two-third of India lives in villages with limited access to economic agricultural opportunities. SFURTI, a government scheme, is trying to help villages imagine their lives beyond farming – helping them become earning artisans.

her life

Embroidery takes her mind off cancer

Though a school dropout, Rabia Khatun used her Kantha embroidery skills to help support her family. Now her embroidery unit not only employs some 100 Kantha artisans but also takes her mind off her battle with cancer.

her life

Kantha embroidery empowers women in rural Bengal

A single woman’s journey to earn a dignified livelihood has today evolved into a revival of the traditional Kantha embroidery that has led to empowerment of rural women in West Bengal