Introduction

INDRODUCTION

The earliest mention of Katha is only five hundred years old, however the tradition of making layered quilts from old clothes goes back much further. It was first mentioned in

a book by poet Krishnadas Kaviraj. In his book titled Sri Sri Chaitanya Charitamrita, the poet writes how the mother of Chaitanya sent a homemade katha to her son in Puri through some traveling pilgrims. You can see the same katha today on display at Gambhira in Puri. This was not the first katha to be made, however it is the first one historically recorded of and kept.

“Katha” refers to both the style of running stitch, as well as the finished cloth in quilting. In Bengali ‘katha’ (also spelled kantha, kata, kheta) simply means quilt. For decades, the application of artistic pattern in the art of needlework and hand embroidery has been practiced by Bangladeshi poor women among the part of rural areas for their family use.

“Similar concepts of quilt making exists in other parts of the world as well, but what makes Bengal quilts unique is the fact that not only does it serve as an everyday functional item, it also represents the culture’s identity and folk art.”

Even today every Bengali family owns at least one katha, if not multiple.

Image curtesy https://srejonee.com/ In the beginning kathas were simple and made of just layered old cloth sewn together to keep the family warm during winter.

“Over time, more elaborate patterns developed, which later became known as ‘Nokshi Katha’.”

Nokshi comes from the Bengali word, naksha, which refers to artistic patterns. Nokshi katha is made up of motifs influenced by religion, culture and the lives of the women stitching them. Back in the day kathas were much more personalized with scenes from the lives of the women creating them, however now in the modern times they mostly contain of floral patterns. I believe consumers just find these designs more aesthetically pleasing.