Khinkhwab Diaries

Phad — the painted scroll-temples of Rajasthan, up to thirty feet of cloth carrying the epics of folk gods, unrolled and sung through the night by the Bhopa bards as...

Nordic knitting, woven rya rugs and the painted Dala horse — the warm, practical folk crafts of the Scandinavian north.

Pichwai — the great painted cloths of Nathdwara, hung behind the image of Krishna as Shrinathji, changed with the seasons and festivals, and painted in stone colour and real gold...

The Peranakan kebaya, fine beadwork and batik — the layered craft heritage of Singapore, where Malay, Chinese and Indian traditions meet.

Pattachitra — the thousand-year-old painting-on-cloth of Odisha and Bengal, where cotton is prepared into an eggshell canvas, ground shell and stone become colour, and a painted cloth can stand in...

An A-to-Z glossary of the Banarasi world — every weave, motif and trade term, from amru and ashrafi to zari, explained in plain language.

The Baluchari of Bengal — the one great Indian saree that tells stories in its pallu, from nawabs on hookahs to whole scenes from the Mahabharata, and how Khinkhwab weaves...

Ten fresh, modern ways to drape your Banarasi silk — from belted and pant-style drapes to easy pre-pleated looks for a new generation.

The hand-painted and block-printed cotton of Andhra — stories of gods and gardens drawn with a kalam or pen and coloured entirely in natural dyes.

Frame it, tailor it, re-cut it, live with it — what to actually do with a Banarasi brocade in a modern wardrobe and a modern house.

Berber rugs, zellige tilework and the ancient tanneries of Fez — the colour and pattern of Morocco's living craft traditions.

Island embroidery, the shaggy flokati and Byzantine silk — a journey through the handcrafts of Greece and its scattered islands.