The sarees of Santiniketan

What is made here

Kantha is a running stitch worked on old or new cloth, forming rows of patterns that ripple across the surface. In Santiniketan the stitch is used on silk and cotton sarees, with flowers, birds and figures. Batik, where wax is applied to cloth to resist dye, is also done here, and block-printed and hand-painted sarees are common. The cloth is soft and designed to be worn easily.

The craft and its people

Craft in the town is linked to the university's art school and to women's groups in nearby villages, who stitch kantha for craft organisations. The artists of the school, such as those who taught at Kala Bhavana, encouraged the use of local forms in textile design. Many pieces are signed or sold through cooperatives.

Seeing it

The weekly Sonajhuri Khoai Haat, held on Saturday afternoons, is a market where artists and craftspeople sell kantha, batik and leather. The Poush Mela, a winter fair in December, brings many more stalls. The university grounds and Tagore's house, Uttarayan, are open to visitors under the rules of the campus.

A trail idea for Santiniketan

1. Sonajhuri Khoai Haat Visit the Saturday market to see kantha and batik sold by the artists who make them.
2. A craft cooperative shop Ask about the stitch and the dyeing and see sarees by village groups.
3. Visva-Bharati campus See the setting that shaped the craft tradition of the town, within the visiting rules.