Phulkari Chaddar, Shawl

Darshan dwara, or ‘the gate from which one sees God’ in sainchi style from eastern Punjab, used for offering to the temples or gurudwaras (Sikh holy shrines) after the fulfillment of a wish. Darshan dwara is a gate at a religious place of worship that offers a clear view of the deity. The Phulkari has a typical red background with a series of large four peaked gates in mustard threads. The gate motif was probably derived from the covered veranda which surrounded the temple. Diamond motifs in coloured threads decorate the gates, placed horizontally, parallel to each other. Between them are images of ladies in colourful traditional costumes, and birds, giving the impression of passing through a crowded street. The roofs of the gates are worked in multicoloured diamond patterns and the triangular space between the selvedge and the gate roofs are decorated with smaller gates.
This shawl is an example of phulkari (floral work) embroidery done in floss silk, using darning stitch over coarse cotton cloth by counting threads of the ground material. Generally meant to be a women's shoulder cloth or shawl , phulkari pieces of this particular class were meant for offering at gurudwaras, sikh places of worship.