নকশি কাঁথা — Nakshi Kantha — is a quilting technique of embroidery that hails from the histories of old Bengal, an artistic tradition that is even today regularly undertaken in West Bengal, Assam, Tripura, and Bangladesh. Using simple elements such as thread and (traditionally old) fabric, Nakshi kantha creates tapestries and mesmerising designs that highlight the ways of life in rural Bengal.

Given its rural roots, Kantha motifs reflect some of the most unique objects and entities that are attributed to life in Bengal — the solar lotus putki, the wheel, the haat-pakha, stars, calligraphy, the peepal tree, kalka, fish, ferns, & flowers from the imagination of an undivided Bengal spring forth in this art form that unites a community separated by arbitrary borders in the modern moment.

Styling a saree is anyone's game. Whether you prefer the traditional drape, or flow in your own rhythms, in this series we feature our favourite inspirations of Kantha silk saree draping, from books to movies to real life icons reviving historical fashion with a contemporary lens.