Rupai is a young peasant, who falls in love with Saju in his neighboring village. They are married. But after a quarrel and fight with some peasants of another village, Rupai leaves home and flees. Saju, the young wife is left alone. She waits every day for her husband to return, but as the days pass her hopes fail and she becomes frail and keeps to herself. She prepares a Nakshi Kantha (an embroidered quilt) presumably out of the tears in her eyes. She pours herself into the quilt, stories of her and Rupai, and their interminable separation, and her tragedy. This story woven into the quilt, she passes away, and in her death, the quilt is used to cover her grave.
A few Days later, a man is seen near the grave, holding the quilt tightly. It is Rupai, finally home to his Saju.
This evocative tale of nakshi kantha is testimony to the use of this embroidery by women members of rural society, weaving endless tales of their loves and their lives through the simplistic but evocative running stitch. Believed to be envisioned by Rabindranath Tagore at Shantiniketan as a way to financially help women not trained to weave ( everyone can complete a running stitch!) the kantha stitch has evolved over time as its own style of embroidery, adorning everything from quilts and home decor, to saris and dresses.
At Silkenthread, we seek to not only revive the weave but also the stories embedded within it, to take the stories of our ancestors to the next generation.