Bangladesh is a country with culture and heritage. ‘Nakshi Katha” is an important folk art that represents the culture, history, lifestyle and so many stories which are related to the daily life of Bangladeshi people. Nakshi Katha sustains the history from five hundred years ago to 2021 in its colorful embroidered threads. It connects us with the daily life of different parts of Bangladesh like Jamalpur, Bogra, and Rajshahi and it has become part of our daily life.
Nakshi Katha: The term ‘Nakshi’ was derived from ‘Naksha’, meaning, an array of colorful patterns and designs, which were embroidered onto a piece of cloth. Nakshi Katha, a type of embroidered quilt.it contains the part of folk art of our country. It is a hundred years old part of our culture.
housewives make Nakshi Katha with old clothes and colorful treads. They sew different types of designs which tell about the past history. Some people use it to decorate homes but previously it was used for the preclusion of cold.
What is the relation between Nakshi Katha and our culture?
Well, it is said that Nakshi Katha was 1st founded in five hundred years ago in the book Sri Sri Chaitanya Chariamrita written by Krishnadas Kabiraj. So this folk art has been with us for more than five hundred years. The word ‘kantha’ is thought to have originated from the Sanskrit word ‘kantha’ and the Prakrit word ‘kaththa’. The word kantha is thought to have been formally pronounced “kheta”. And interestingly every newborn has his/her own Nakshi Katha.
As it is a very ancient art, here we can find our ancestor’s mementos. This art connects us with those who used to live in the before us. Not only that it tells us about their lives, about their struggle. Nakshi Katha’s lineage can be traced back to a time when rural women engaged in this form of craft, not necessarily with an intention of creating ‘art’, but out of everyday need.
Nakshi Katha and our Rich Cultural Countryside: Nakshi Kantha is deeply rooted in our cultural heritage. The running stitch or the ‘Kantha Stitch’ was mainly popular with the Hindu ladies of the greater Jamalpur, Mymensingh, Rajshahi, Faridpur, and Jessore regions.
Why this art is so special to us?
Nakshi Katha is part of our oldest folk art. This art has represented our country on the international stage for several times. Though it is the oldest art in our country you can find this in almost every house and interestingly every child has their own Nakshi Katha. It is not just an art it is a bridge between our ancestors’ mementos with newborns.
Usually old clothes are fringe of yarn, or a weaver of blue, red, and yellow, and the clothes are stitched yarn. The women of the countryside make kantha by sewing thin cloth, mainly old cloth, in layers. Most of the village women are skilled in this industry. Usually, it takes one year or more than one year to make a Nakshi Kantha.
They sew their stories, the stories of happiness, sorrow, pain, freedom, rain, hunger, and the story of life. In Bangladesh, there are 64 districts and hundreds of villages. Each Katha contains a different story that connects us with our people.
Threat for the art: For centuries, women have been telling stories through art and music. In Bengal, these stories are told through Nakshi Kantha, a type of folk art where colorful patterns and designs are embroidered into a quilt with a running stitch called “Kantha stitch”. Nakshi Kantha tells the story of life in rural Bangladesh. It tells the story of the joys, sorrows, and dreams of the future.
But recently people have become dependent on technology. As a result, this art is losing its popularity. so it will be a threat to our culture. This art contains a large amount of our heritage if we lose this we will lose a big part of our culture
Nakshi Katha and Jamalpuri.com: We are trying to connect you and the next generation with our culture. Our customer is our biggest support. Nakshi Katha is the oldest form of our culture so we are trying to highlight this art. Jamlpuri.com respects our culture and we trust our customers will support us in every segment.