“Kadh Kasida Pehreh Choli, Ta Tum Janoh Nari”

2

“Only then you will be considered an accomplished lady when you will embroider yourself your own

blouse”

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.51583/IJLTEMAS.2025.1411000075

Received: 16 November 2025; Accepted: 22 November 2025; Published: 12 December 2025

This paper explores the dynamic intersection of traditional knowledge systems and women-led entrepreneurship

as Amazon Karigar and GoCoop, have leveraged Phulkari not only as a means of socio-cultural reclamation and

innovation but also as a sustainable source of income. This paper also discusses the critical challenges faced by

the sector, including limited market access, exploitation by intermediaries, digital illiteracy, and the erosion of

authenticity due to mass production, all at their times. To combat these, the Geographical Indication (GI) tag

was awarded to Phulkari in 2009 is evaluated as a potential tool for safeguarding community intellectual

property. The study argues that Phulkari-based women’s entrepreneurship serves as a replicable model for

inclusive and sustainable development, proving how indigenous traditions can be harnessed for both economic

empowerment and cultural preservation.

Keywords: phulkari, women, heritage, sustainable development, and entrepreneurship.

sustainability and originality of Phulkari have been realized. These include restricted access to market, persistent

presence of exploitative

intermediaries, digital divide in the inclusion of the artisans, and fear of dilution of the quality of craft through

mass production. The paper also deals with the effects of the Geographical Indication (GI) tag that Phulkari

received in 2009, critically examining literature arguing its relevance in safeguarding the artisans' rights and

heritage.

Crafting Identity Through Phulkari

Textiles and handicrafts have been a fundamental aspect of the cultural heritage of our country India. Developing

across generations, these artistic traditions, especially craft in the form of thread, have been carefully interwoven

into the Indian communities and their socio-cultural fabric. “Traditional handicrafts have been coexisting with

craftspersons in rural and semi-urban areas but also serves to preserve the rich cultural heritage of our country.

Thus, putting forth the central question of “How can Phulkari serve as a sustainable model for empowering

women through tradition-based enterprises in contemporary India?” To answer this question, one must

understand the process by which the Phulkari came into being. How is it made? Why was it made? And most

importantly, what does it signify?

Gupta, A. H., & Mehta, S. (2014). Patterns of Phulkari: Then and now. Bonfring International Journal of

Industrial Engineering and Management Science, 4(4), 179–185.

Historical Roots & Cultural Significance (15th - 18th Century)

Phulkari, which consists of two words - “phool” (meaning flower) and “kari” (meaning work), thus translating

to “flower work,” is a traditional handicraft art that has its roots in the Punjab region. The earliest literary

transmitted from generation to generation and based in the social context of Punjabi home life.

Phulkari held a significant part in the lives of the people of Punjab. It was included in all their major life events,

especially in weddings, sometimes as dowry while sometimes gifted as heirlooms. According to legends, brides

had a minimum of 21 embroidered Phulkaris in their dowry trousseau, each representing skill, hard work, and

family status. The quantity and complexity of these works were not only a reflection of the bride's talent and

imagination but also of her family's wealth and cultural education. Household women—particularly mothers and

grandmothers—spent years sewing these pieces, making embroidery a marker of domestic schooling and marital

preparedness. Girls learned Phulkari as children, thereby making the tradition trans-generational.

The actual designing of the Phulkari included motifs such as geometric shapes, flora and fauna or scenes from

from the folklores, like "Mein Kadna Dili Darwaza, Pachian Di Lia De Logri". This is from a folk song, sung at

the time of Giddha, and translates to "I will embroider the Delhi gate, Oh, get me twenty rupees worth of yarn".

There exist three broad categories of phulkari – phulkari proper; bagh; and choppa. Phulkari proper is where the

design is scattered at equal intervals across the fabric and the foundation can be seen. Bagh phulkari is where

the whole surface is decorated by an unbroken pattern. Choppa phulkari or choppa phulkari is where the borders

of the fabric are decorated and the center is left bare.

Kaur, R., & Gupta, I. (2014). Phulkari and Bagh folk art of Punjab: A study of changing designs from traditional

to contemporary time. American International Journal of Research in Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences, 5(1),

35–43.

her phera.

• Vari da bagh – It was presented by either the mother-in-law or the bridegroom's grandmother to the bride

when she entered her new home. It is executed on a red ground with yellow silk thread in minute lozenges.

• Sainchi – It symbolized rural life in the Punjab villages. These were worn daily.

• Til Patra – It was gifted to the domestic servants on auspicious occasions, such as marriages.

The Phulkari’s have intricate compositions with pleasing and harmonious colours. The designs are geometric

of heirloom, passed from generation to generation. It was also used as cover for seats for honored guests and

decorated in the household. These embroideries express their societies, their needs, and their obligations.

From Domestic Ritual to Commercial Renaissance-Women’s Entrepreneurship & Economic

Empowerment (Late 18th To Late 20th Century):

The British colonial era profoundly influenced the Indian subcontinent, particularly in its economic, political,

and social structures. During the colonial period in India, the British Administrators and ethnographers were

highly attracted to this colourful tapestry of Punjab and so began collecting as well as categorizing these textiles

as representative of the Punjabi Culture. The British introduced the notion of "art for art's sake" and looked to

display Indian crafts in museums as exotic artifacts. This step however, further objectified these Phulkaris and

initially divorced them from their social and cultural contexts. It took them from their true meaning of a strong

In colonial Punjab, the pressure to monetize women’s domestic labor appeared as poverty, war, and dislocation

prompted families to sell heirloom textiles. Phulkaris, which once embodied a woman's creativity, status, and

goods, disrupted traditional livelihoods. Women’s embroidery became a survival strategy rather than a

celebratory or spiritual act, giving rise to an early, informal form of women’s entrepreneurship. Although this

shift did bring income into households, it also redefined women’s relationship with their craft—from a cultural

expression to a commodified task, distanced from the personal and ritualistic values it once held.

The introduction of industrialization and the push for mass production during the colonial period had a direct

effect on artisanal practices. The emergence of mechanized textile production led to the decline of handloom

and hand-embroidered textiles, including Phulkari. With a change already initiated in its narrative, it was

transformed from an intimate practice into a symbol of Punjabi cultural identity curated for outsiders. As a result,

the colonial administration's interest in Phulkari also led to its commodification (the action/process of treating

something as a mere commodity). Moreover, the colonial emphasis on industrialization and mass production led

to a decline in traditional crafts. The period marked the beginning of a shift in Phulkari's identity—from a symbol

of cultural expression to a marketable commodity.

empowerment and innovation.

Fig. 1.1: A few products by Passion Phulkari

Thus, during Covid I did an online certification from IIM Bangalore, that helped improve my entrepreneurial

skills further.

Question 2: How Many Artisans Are Associated With Your Brand, And Could You Share The Gender

Ratio and Educational Background of The Women Involved?

I just thought of making something in the field of Phulkari, starting with one pouch and one girl. Now we have

more than 20 products with 1 patent and 2 trademarks. Our team too, has grown from 2 to double digits.

Question 3: Do The Women Working With You See Phulkari As A Form Of Cultural Expression, A

handicrafts, still people are reluctant to buy many times due to cost. They perceive that Handicrafts are not as

perfect in quality as machine made goods. The skilled artisans are not getting the recognition and wages they

deserve, especially the rural female artisans.

Question 5: In Your Experience, How Has Working With Phulkari Changed The Lives Of The Women

Artisans?

I believe working with Phulkari has brought financial independence, social respect, and changes in their roles

within their families and communities, changing their lives overall.

Challenges in the Phulkari Ecosystem

Phulkari faces the dual challenge of preserving authenticity while adapting to contemporary fashion. Designers

must balance traditional motifs and techniques with modern aesthetics, requiring both cultural sensitivity and

Phulkari, a once vibrant, community-based embroidery craft in Punjab, has been dramatically altered with the

burden of economic, social, and technological pressures. With origins in home and ceremonial life, phulkari was

never produced for sale but for the purpose of personal and cultural expression by women. But with the beginning

of markets during colonial and post-colonial times, artisans—rural and excluded—had limited access to

consumers and had to rely on go-betweens who set prices and appropriated most of the gains. These

intermediaries, situated in urban areas, generated a structural imbalance, leaving the artisans economically

vulnerable while insisting on designs that appealed to commercial interests. This twist came to mark the

beginning of phulkari's disconnection from its roots, transforming a sacred, intimate art into a marketable

Problems have only become more complex in the last few decades.

• As mass production gained momentum, machine-stitched phulkari began flooding markets—particularly

• Most are unable to use online marketplaces or social media, thus unable to escape traditional retail chains

or exploitative traders. Even as visibility and demand rise, most artisans are kept out of the complete

economic value of the work, and cultural authenticity of phulkari continues to be destroyed with

commercial and technological pressure.

Contemporary Adaptation of Phulkari Embroidery in Fashion and Textile: A Cultural Resurgence Beant kaur

and Prof (Dr.) Smriti Agarwal

Summary

Overall, our findings underscore that the growth of the Phulkari has appeared as a driving force for women's

economic empowerment in rural Punjab, changing lives through collective, organized effort. Phulkari is a

dynamic convergence of economic empowerment, gender equality, and cultural conservation—hence an

exemplary model for sustainable rural women's enterprise in India in overall terms. The future of Phulkari lies

1. Maskiell, M. (1999). Embroidering the past: Phulkari textiles and gendered work as “tradition” and

“heritage” in colonial and contemporary Punjab. The Journal of Asian Studies, 58(2), 361–388.

2. Gera, K. A. (2013). Phulkari empowers women in Punjab.

3. Gupta, A. H., & Mehta, S. (2014). Patterns of Phulkari: Then and now. Bonfring International Journal of

Industrial Engineering and Management Science, 4(4), 179–185. https://doi.org/10.9756/bijiems.6133

4. Kaur, R., & Gupta, I. (2014). Phulkari and Bagh folk art of Punjab: A study of changing designs from