history of phulkari

Heer ranjha by waris shah

Shawl found in gurudwara

Shawl preserved in gurudwara

   

Now i would like to tell you the interesting history of how phulkari came in India.

 The history and origin of the Phulkari are not well- known due to lack of evidences and documentation. 

The earliest mention of the ancient word phulkari appears in the famous love story ‘Heer Ranjha’ written by Waris Shah (1725-1790). The Phulkari was the costume of Heer . In “Harishcharitra” the author, Bana Bhatt in the 7th century A.D., mentioned, “some people were embroidering flowers and leaves on the cloth from the reverse side”. This description is similar to the technique of Phulkari and Bagh because they are also done on the backside of the cloth. 

Based on this reference, Jasleen Dhamija has put forward the theory that such embroidery was probably prevalent in various parts of the country during the 7th century. According to her, the technique of embroidery survived only in Punjab, while similar motifs are sometimes used in Bihar and Rajasthan . 

Some studies on the art of Phulkari suggest that it came from Iran where it is known as “Gulkari”. Gulkari consists of two words, ‘Gul’, which means flower, and ‘Kari’, which means work. This is the same etymology for the word Phulkari.  Some researchers and historians think the art of Phulkari came from central Asia along with the Jat tribes who migrated to India and lived in Punjab, Haryana and Gujarat. Both these theories are seemingly incorrect. References to the art of Phulkari are found in the Vedas, the Mahabharata and Guru Granth Sahib. The origin of the art of phulkari can be traced back to the 15th century AD. The earliest available articles are Phulkari shawls & hankies embroidered in the Chamba style during the 15th century by Bebe Nanaki, the sister of Guru Nanak Dev ji (1469-1539), the first guru of the Sikh religion. These articles have been preserved in Sikh holy places in Punjab, at the Gurudwara Dera Baba Nanak in the district of Gurudaspur. 

Another shawl has been preserved in the Gurudwara Mao Sahib in the district of Jalandhar. It was used by the 5th Sikh Guru, Arjun Dev ji (1563-1606), when he married Mai Ganga . According to these theories and existing articles, it is difficult to trace the exact origin of traditional Punjabi Phulkari embroidery.