{
  "id": 18740103,
  "title": "Stories hidden in every stitch: Discovering the art of Bengal’s nakshi kantha",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/07/stories-hidden-in-every-stitch-discovering-the-art-of-bengals-nakshi-18740103",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-11-07T15:30:09.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Indian Express - Lifestyle",
    "slug": "the-indian-express-lifestyle",
    "url": "https://indianexpress.com/article/lifestyle/fashion/nakshi-kantha-bengal-traditional-embroidery-history-motifs-10946767/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Bengal's traditional art form, nakshi kantha, is a form of embroidered textile that originated from the domestic lives of rural Bengali women. The craft began with repurposing old, worn-out cotton saris and dhotis, layering them together to create quilts and household textiles. Initially, these textiles served practical purposes, but they gradually evolved into expressions of creativity, imagination, and personal experiences.\n\nThe term \"nakshi kantha\" comes from Bengali words meaning \"artistic designs\" and \"stitched textile.\" Over generations, these household objects transformed into remarkable folk art pieces that showcased the skill and individuality of their creators. Today, nakshi kantha is recognized as an essential part of Bengal's textile heritage, demonstrating how an everyday household craft developed into a distinct art form.\n\nTraditional nakshi kantha was characterized by its resourcefulness, delicate stitching, layered construction, and imaginative compositions. Made from recycled cotton fabric like old saris and dhotis, the textiles were held together using a running stitch, along with other techniques like darning stitch for filling and reinforcement. The motifs and designs incorporated natural elements, folklore, religious traditions, and personal experiences of the women who created them.",
  "summary": null,
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}