বাংলায় পড়ুন
Ever been caught reading someone else's diary and getting punished for it? Well, there's a way to read someone's diary, more specifically a woman's diary and the best part no one will punish you for it.
Exciting news, right? That's what a Kantha can be described as- woman's diary! A kantha essentially means a quilt made out of old, worn out, clothes like sari or shawls and bound together with running stitches. Many times they are decorated with motifs of animals and plants. And even though it sounds like a chore, many women from rural areas of West Bengal will describe it as a breath of fresh air. After a hard working day, it is seen in certain rural areas like Nanoor, that women gather together to spend some time stitching these 'kanthas' and having a whale of a time. They do the famous Bengali 'adda' along with their stitching and in turn, leave behind their tiring day and get much needed 'time-out' that helps them prepare for another hard working day in their lives.
Now if one gets curious about this Kantha switches or is interested in seeing how this rich culture of Bengal is being kept alive then Nanoor in the Birbhum district of West Bengal is the place to be. For West Bengal Government's Department of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises and Textiles are working closely with UNESCO to keep this old form of art from dying and have developed a Rural Craft Hub for the same in Nanoor.
People interested in seeing this wonderful art form can plan a day-long tour or even tuck this little adventure when they visit Shantiniketan cause both the places are quite nearby.
Turns out West Bengal housing the cultural capital of the country isn't merely a coincidence, there are beauty and art spread all over Bengal.
