EMBROIDERIES OF INDIA / PHULKARI WORK / MOTIFS

- Using their fertile imagination the women of Punjab developed various motifs.

- Inspiration was drawn from the vegetables, flowers, animals that they had. Some of them are karela bagh (bitter gourd), gobhi bagh (cauliflower), dhaniya bagh (coriander) and mirchi bagh (chilli).

- Some like lehriya bagh (wave), satranga meaning seven-coloured and panchranga meaning five-coloured motifs while being the most commonly used motifs, wheat and barley stalks that grow all over Punjab is a popular theme.

- Amongst animals the most common were the mor (Peacock) design. Recently new motifs have been developed known as Parantha (originally with eight colours), Kanchan, Butti etc. Thus every possible representation from daily life and nature find expression therein.

- No religious subject or darbar scenes were embroidered. Phulkari encompassed life in the villages.