Takdira Begum (born 13 November 1953) a recipient of the

Padma Shri The Padma Shri (IAST: ''padma śrī'', lit. 'Lotus Honour'), also spelled Padma Shree, is the fourth-highest Indian honours system, civilian award of the Republic of India, after the Bharat Ratna, the Padma Vibhushan and the Padma Bhushan. In ...

award from Bolpur,

Birbhum Birbhum district () is an administrative unit in the Indian state of West Bengal. It is the northernmost district of Burdwan division—one of the five administrative divisions of West Bengal. The district headquarters is in Suri. Other impo ...

in West Bengal, is known for her contributions to the traditional craft of Nakshi Kantha embroidery.

Early life and background

Takdira's father originally belonged to Shrikrishnapur, but later moved to live in

Jaykrishnapur Jaykrishnapur is a census town in Chanditala II CD Block in Srirampore subdivision of Hooghly district in the state of West Bengal, India. Geography Location Jaykrishnapur is located at . Kharsarai, Tisa, Kapashanria, Jaykrishnapur, Purba ...

. Takdira studied up to the 10th grade at Bhedia Girls' School in Ausgram. Her interest in stitching and embroidery began as early as the fifth grade. Inspired by her mother's work in

Kantha Kantha (Bengali: কাঁথা; Hindi: कान्था), also spelled kanta or qanta, is a type of embroidery craft in Bangladesh and eastern regions of India, particularly in the Indian states of West Bengal, Tripura and Odisha. In Odi ...

embroidery, she was drawn beyond traditional academics to the intricate art of

needlework Needlework refers to decorative sewing and other textile arts, textile handicrafts that involve the use of a Sewing needle, needle. Needlework may also include related textile crafts like crochet (which uses a crochet hook, hook), or tatting, ( ...

Life

Takdira has dedicated over 30 years to the art of Kantha embroidery. She acquired her foundational stitching skills during her school years, which later evolved into both her passion and her means of livelihood. After receiving the Padma Shri award, she highlighted the significance of empowering marginalized communities and motivating minority women to engage in work that enhances their living conditions. Currently, she operates from home, with her daughter and son-in-law in Delhi overseeing the sales of her handcrafted products.

Personal life

Takdira entered into marriage at the age of 19 and shortly thereafter gave birth to three daughters. She found herself subjected to the constraints of a patriarchal society.

Awards

* National Merit Award in 1995 *

Shilp Guru The Shilp Guru is the highest honour in the Indian handicrafts sector awarded by Development Commissioner (Handicrafts), Ministry of Textiles, Government of India. It is conferred annually upon 10 master craftspersons who have created an exception ...

Award in 2009 *

in 2024

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Begum, Takdira 1953 births Living people People from Birbhum district Recipients of the Padma Shri in arts