India is a land of storytellers. We have been telling stories through different mediums, be it folk songs, dance or through art. For centuries, women have been telling their stories through embroidery. Embroidered clothing was considered a heritage and passed on through generations in the family.There is so much beauty and rich tradition involved in hand embroidery, which is unique and irreplaceable All the traditional embroideries of India have motifs and colours specific to the culture of that particular region. Today, in the potpourri of clothing available, hand embroidery has lost it's essence. There are thousands of products available which say they are hand embroidered but are clearly imprinted from machines.
Hand embroidery has a beauty of its own. There is nothing that can replace the intricacy, the imperfect perfection, which takes hours and days to finish. Kasuti embroidery, which is the only ornamentation used in Dori, is the traditional embroidery of Karnataka whose earliest references dates back to 10th century under the reign of Chalukyas. The influences of that time can still be seen in the embroidery which takes inspiration from
chariot, gopura, palanquin, lamps and conch shells.
There aren't many who can take pride in their expertise at Kasuti, and I'm glad I found that cut above the rest. Naturally, I am bent on helping revive hand-made Kasuti and Dori is my attempt at that.
