KASUTI EMBROIDERY
The exquisite sculptures on the temples of the south Indian state of Karnataka are regarded as the
inspiration of Kasuti embroidery practised by women in the state. It is said that women sought to embroider
on cloth, the motifs and beauty of the sculptures they saw on the temple walls. This belief is attested by the
presence of several motifs related to temples such as temple gateways, the vehicles of deities, lamp pillars,
plant holders of holy basil, chariots and palanquins that were created with Kasuti embroidery on cloth.
Kasuti – stemming from the words
kai
meaning hand, and
suti
meaning cotton – features religious motifs as
well as motifs of birds, animals, fruits, trees and flowers. Kasuti embroidery has four types of stitches, three
of which are variations of the running stitch and the fourth is the cross-stitch. Kasuti stitches are worked
neatly and with a constant distance between two consecutive stitches to create an evenness of work. It is
created on sarees as well as other attire with striking effect.
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