Yesterday, as they traveled all over India carrying grain and salt on their bullock carts, Banjara-Lambhani women displayed their expertise and the embroidered clothes they wore.

Their ancient skills, handed down from generation to generation, were enriched by new motifs and new colors borrowed from the regions through which they passed they produced a magical mosaic of embroidery and mirrors.

Today, because of the standardization of women’s dresses, the younger generation tends to reject traditional clothing. At the same time, the poor quality of objects produced for tourist results in the loss of traditional motifs.

“Surya’s Garden” is a trust founded by Laxmi Naik, a Lambhani from Hampi in Karnataka. There, the Lambhani embroideresses mean to revive ancient skills and to produce meticulous work. Each piece is unique. The quality of embroidery demonstrates the vitality of the rediscovered motifs.

A part of the proceeds is being used to build a community workshop, a medical center for the embroideresses and a kinder garden. This will provide Lambhani women with financial freedom, a sense of solidarity as well as an assertion of their ancestral identity.

Email: laxmijan@suryasgarden.org