In pictures: Nakshikantha in colorful designs

By the roadside lies a raised yard. Several women are seated there in rows, each with a needle and thread in hand. With those needles and threads, they are stitching beautiful patterns. This is a scene from Magura Tair village in Sherpur upazila of Bogura. After finishing their household chores in the morning, the women sit in rows in the courtyard and create Nakshikantha (embroidered hand-stitched quilts). Besides cloth, needle, and thread, they also use sketched designs on paper, tracing paper, and embroidery frames to craft these quilts. Here are a few photos showing women in the remote village of Bogura making beautifully patterned Nakshikanthas in their courtyards. Soyel Rana