NAKSHI KANTHA AS A MEDIUM OF WOMEN’S EXPRESSION IN RURAL BENGAL

Abstract [English]

Nakshi Kantha is a traditional embroidered textile of the state of Bengal. Nakshi Kantha works as a utilitarian household object. It is a means of women’s expression. This method is practiced by women basically from rural area. This type of embroidery includes layering worn cotton fabrics and embellishing them with running stitches. This helps in creating visually rich narrative surfaces. The objective of present study is to examine Nakshi Kantha as a cultural and emotional language through which women expressed personal experiences. It also helps in expressing social roles, memories, beliefs, and aspirations within a largely patriarchal rural context. The paper used a qualitative and descriptive research approach. The paper used secondary sources. These sources include scholarly books, journal articles. The study analyzes recurring themes including domestic life, nature, spirituality, folklore, and emotional symbolism, highlighting how these visual elements function as autobiographical narratives. The findings indicate that Nakshi Kantha is a way of self-representation. This helps in allowing women to transform domestic labor into creative agency. The conclusion is that Nakshi Kantha should be recognized as folk embroidery. It is an important cultural document that preserves voices, identities, and lived experiences of women in the state of Bengal.