In textile hand embroidery, embellishment is made on fabric with threads and sometimes with other materials. Various types of hand embroideries are practiced in India. Each type of embroidery is different from the other and has its own beauty and significant value. Cardoza, one of such embroidery, is one the world famous textile hand embroidery craft.
Main clusters: In India there are many popular embroidery clusters such as Chikankari and zardozi of Lucknow, katha of Bengal, fulkari of Punjab, kutchi embroidery of Gujarat and kashidakari of Kashmir.
Cardoza has been traditionally prevalent in Lucknow and the six
Surrounding districts of Barabanki, Unnao, Sitapur, Rae Bareli, Hardoi and Amethi. Lucknow zardozi has been accorded the Geographical Indication (GI) registration.
Artisans involved: The Lucknow zardozi cluster supports an estimated 1.75 lakh artisans.
Around 2 lakh people directly involved in the supply and value chain in the cluster. Further, the Chikankari cluster of Lucknow provides employment to
2.5 lakh people.
Raw material used: Basic materials used for this craft are cotton and silk threads of various colours, mirrors, beads, metal wire, cotton, silk, leather, fish skin, teeth, bones, feathers, horn, shells, beetle wings, tassels, coins.
Raw material used for Chikankari embroidery includes untwisted mill yarn (Muga), silk, crepe, organise, cotton, terry-cotton, chiffon, muslin or Tussar Yarn.
Supplier: Bar mops, dish cloth, duster cloth, floor cleaning cloth, stockinet rolls, face cloth, hand towels, bath towels, beach towels, kitchen towels, tea towels ( stripped, checked, printed, embroidered, jacquard ), waffle weave kitchen towels, glass cloth, herringbone kitchen towels, terry tea towels, mono check tea towels, aprons, pot holders, hot pad, oven mitts, silicon oven mitt, terry oven mitt, pan grabbers, chef hat, caps, socks ( cotton, polyester ), cotton rag rugs & mat, bed sheets, table cloth, napkins, cushion covers, thermal blankets, fleece blankets, mink blankets, floor carpet, cotton bags, tote bags, shopping bags, jute bags, paper/board bags, fruit picking bags, coin bags, cotton webbing tape, cotton/ polyester braided cards, home textiles & made ups, jute webbing, pp webbing, soft plant tie, coconut coir pith/peat, clothing, fruits, vegetables, dairy, poultry, meat, seeds, rice, wheat, spices, pulses, frozen.
