Long before machines whirred and factories churned, men and women sewed with their hands. Every stitch carried not just thread, but time, patience, and emotion. It was art, it was survival, it was joy.
Then came the machine era — faster, cheaper, more uniform. Technology advanced, and with it, handmade crafts were pushed to the margins. Efficiency won over intimacy. But something was lost —the human quotient, the happiness of creation, the pride of sharing.
Today, in 2025, as the world debates Artificial Intelligence and its place in our lives, one truth stands firm: human art carries a soul that machines cannot replicate. The rhythm of needle and thread, the colours chosen by hand, the stories stitched into fabric — these are more than objects. They are pursuits of happiness, shared between creator and recipient.
Hand embroidery by Rina Bauri-Gobag, Raghunathpur Purulia West Bengal
Hand embroidery by Sasta Mahato, Village,Bokaro, Jharkhand
Hand embroidery by SUKLA Maji-Bartoria, Purulia West Bengal
Hand embroidery by Sarathi Bauri-Sarbari, Purulia , West Bengal
Hand embroidered by our Master Artisan Bubuni Mukherjee , Sarbari , Purulia , West Bengal
Camel Motif Hand Embroidered Scroll made by the Kurani Kaibartya-garh Panchakot, Raghunathpur, Purulia West Bengal
At Indha, the idea was never just to sell craft — it was to keep alive the joy of making with one’s own hands, even as the world moved toward machines. Our champions saw that both could co-exist: machines could help with scale, but the needle, the brush, the painted motif, the hand woven thread — these carry a soul no machine can give. When our artisans create,there is a tug of joy, a spark that turns their work into keepsakes. From embroidery to painted crafts, from hand-stitched diaries and bags to home décor, each piece is not just an object — it is something to take home, to hold, and to treasure.
“Technology may make faster, but only human hands make us feel.”
Hand-painted Napkin Holder made by Shyamal Mandal, Master Artisan, Lowakui, Purulia, West Bengal
Hand Embroidered Dog motif by Bubuni Mukherjee, Sarbari, Purulia West Bengal
From Threads of Hope to Stitches of Success: The Journey of Sushmita Bauri
In the small village of Inanpur lives Sushmita Bauri, a young woman who turned hardship into opportunity. Born into a family of seven, with her elder brother’s modest income as their only support, Sushmita longed to ease his burden.
Her journey began at the Literacy India Sarbari Centre, where her passion for sewing quickly came to light. Though untrained, her precision and creativity impressed trainers, who enrolled her in the Embroidery Course. Every stitch revealed not just skill, but determination.
Her growth soon led her to the Indha program, where women artisans create handcrafted embroidery with skill and pride. Over the past two years, Sushmita has flourished into a confident artisan, capable of designing and executing intricate embroidery work with finesse.
But these dreams don’t stop here. With confidence she never had before, Sushmita now envisions starting her own embroidery business, specialising in blouses and dresses. Encouraged by her brother’s support, she is stitching together a brighter future.
The story is proof that with training, belief, and opportunity, ordinary threads can extraordinary success.
Hand Embroidery by Babli Parmanik, Village Sarbari, Purulia, West Bengal
Hand Embroidery by Durga Das-Baruipara, Sarbari, Purulia, West Bengal
