Accessories from Sandur Kushala Kala Kendra

This Diwali, dāram presents a range of bags, wallets, purses and pouches from Sandur Kushala Kala Kendra, Bellary.

Sandur Kushala Kala Kendra works with Lambani artisans in the Bellary district of Karnataka. Lambanis or Banjaras are a nomadic, gypsy tribe and are well-known for their exquisite traditional hand-embroidery using various stitches and mirror crafts. The embroidery on the bags, purses and pouches is a fusion of pattern darning, mirror work, cross stitch, and overlaid and quilting stitches with borders of Kangura patchwork appliqué done on a base fabric which is hand-block-printed in traditional Lambani motifs. A distinctive design element is the use of local mud resistant handloom fabric, and mirrors, shells, white ornamental trims in addition to Kasuti work, a unique form of needlework native to North Karnataka.

The Kendra was established in 1988 with a basic objective to train and develop locally available skills in the arts and crafts, thereby improving the quality of life for artisans. For the last two decades the organization has successfully helped promote traditional crafts like lambani embroidery, Karnataka kasuti, cane and bamboo crafts, stone and woodcarving, and also the spinning and weaving of cotton khadi fabric.

To read more about the Kendra and its works, visit http://www.kushalakalasandur.com