# Kantha > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Kantha > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Kantha.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kantha > Source revision: 1316058469 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) For other uses, see [Kantha (disambiguation)](/source/Kantha_(disambiguation)). **Kantha** (Bengali: [কাঁথা](https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/%E0%A6%95%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%81%E0%A6%A5%E0%A6%BE); Hindi: [कान्था](https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/%E0%A4%95%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%A8%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%A5%E0%A4%BE)), also spelled **kanta** or **qanta**, is a type of [embroidery](/source/Embroidery) craft in [Bangladesh](/source/Bangladesh) and eastern regions of India, particularly in the [Indian states](/source/States_and_union_territories_of_India) of [West Bengal](/source/West_Bengal), [Tripura](/source/Tripura) and [Odisha](/source/Odisha). In Odisha, old [saris](/source/Sari) are stacked on each other and hand-[stitched](/source/Embroidery_stitch) to make a thin piece of [cushion](/source/Cushion). This is normally used above a bed cushion or instead of a cushion.[1] Kantha [saris](/source/Sari) are traditionally worn by women in the [Bengal](/source/Bengal) region.[2] In the modern day, embroidery is stitched, popularly known as 'kantha stitched", on sari, [kurta](/source/Kurta) (or panjabi) and [churidar](/source/Churidar) and many other garments and gaining popularity due to their aesthetic value and handmade characteristics. Kantha stitching is also used to make simple quilts, commonly known as [nakshi kantha](/source/Nakshi_kantha). Women in Bengal typically use old saris and cloth and layer them with kantha stitching to make a light blanket, throw, or bedspread, especially for children. Kantha is very popular with tourists visiting the [Bengal](/source/Bengal) region of the Indian subcontinent. ## Etymology The word *kantha* has no discernible etymological root.[3] The exact origin of the word is not precisely known, although it probably has a precursor in *kheta* (meaning "field" in [Bengali](/source/Bengali_language)).[4] According to [Niaz Zaman](/source/Niaz_Zaman), the word *kantha* originates from the [Sanskrit](/source/Sanskrit) word *kontha*, which means rags, as *kantha* is made of rags.[5] Its name in Bengali also varies from dialect to dialect and may be known as কাঁথা, খেতা, কেন্থা, শুজনি romanized in [ISO standard 15919](/source/ISO_15919) as *kām̐thā, khētā, kēnthā, śujani* respectively. ## Weave Kantha is a form of embroidery often practised by [rural women](/source/Rural_women). The traditional form of Kantha embroidery was done with soft [dhotis](/source/Dhoti) and saris, with a simple running stitch along the edges. Depending on the use of the finished product they were known as *Lepkantha* or *Sujni Kantha*. The embroidered cloth has many uses including shawls, covers for mirrors, boxes, and pillows. In some cases, the entire cloth is covered with running stitches, employing beautiful motifs of flowers, animals, birds and geometrical shapes, as well as themes from everyday activities. The stitching on the cloth gives it a slightly wrinkled, wavy effect. Contemporary kantha is applied to a wider range of garments such as sarees, dupatta, shirts for men and women, bedding and other furnishing fabrics, mostly using cotton and silk. Modern Kantha-stitch craft industry involves a very complex multi-staged production model.[6] ## See also - [Textile arts of Bangladesh](/source/Textile_arts_of_Bangladesh) - [Embroidery of India](/source/Embroidery_of_India) - [Nakshi kantha](/source/Nakshi_kantha) ## References 1. India. Office of the Registrar General (1962). [*Census of India, 1961: Orissa*](https://books.google.com/books?id=HgUfAQAAMAAJ). Manager of Publications. 1. ["One stitch at a time - The Hindu"](https://www.thehindu.com/features/kids/one-stitch-at-a-time/article6445032.ece). *The Hindu*. 25 September 2014. 1. Ahmad 1997. 1. Ahmad, Perveen (1999). ["Lecture: Aesthetics and Vocabulary of Nakshi Kantha"](https://web.archive.org/web/20140819045946/http://ignca.nic.in/nl_01310.htm). *Vihangama*. **VII** (1–4). Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA). Archived from [the original](http://ignca.nic.in/nl_01310.htm) on 19 August 2014. Retrieved 28 October 2008. 1. Zaman 1993, p. 36. 1. Roy, Paramita and Sattwick Dey Biswas (2011). Opportunities and Constraints of the Kantha-stitch craftswomen in Santiniketan: a value chain analysis. Journal of Social Work and Social Development (ISSN [2229-6468](https://www.worldcat.org/issn/2229-6468)). pp. 5–9. ## Sources - Ahmad, Perveen (1997). *The Aesthetics & Vocabulary of Nakshi Kantha*. Dhaka: Bangladesh National Museum. ISBN 984-585-000-6. - Zaman, Niaz (1993). *The Art of Kantha Embroidery*. Second Revised ed. Dhaka: University Press. ISBN 978-984-05-1228-7. ## Further reading - *The Art of Kantha embroidery*, by [Niaz Zaman](/source/Niaz_Zaman). University Press, 1993. ISBN 984-05-1228-5. - Jasleen Dhamija (2004). [*Asian embroidery*](https://books.google.com/books?id=MnyGckk3RiwC&q=kantha+embroidery&pg=PA133). Abhinav Publications. ISBN 81-7017-450-3. - *Kantha: the embroidered quilts of Bengal*, by Darielle Mason, Pika Ghosh, Katherine Hacker, Anne Peranteau. Yale University Press, 2010. ISBN 0300154429. - *Kantha*, by John Gillow, Pratapaditya Pal, Courtenay McGowen, and Rob Sidner. Mingei International Museum and Radius Books, 2017. ISBN 9781942185192. - *[Kantha Work](https://www.embroidery.rocksea.org/hand-embroidery/kantha-work/)*, by Juby Aleyas Koll. *[Sarah's Hand Embroidery Tutorials](https://www.embroidery.rocksea.org/hand-embroidery/)*, 2021. --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Kantha](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kantha) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kantha?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.