Meet Tripti Mukherjee, Kantha stitch artist honored with Padma Shri
What's the story
Tripti Mukherjee, a resident of Suri, Birbhum district in West Bengal, will be awarded the Padma Shri for her work in reviving and promoting Kantha embroidery. Under the Government of India's People's Padma initiative, the 60-year-old will be honored for taking this traditional art form to a global audience. Not only this, in four decades, she has trained at least 20,000 women in Kantha stitching, helping them achieve financial independence.
Artistic evolution
National heroes, mythological themes are depicted in her work
Mukherjee learned Kantha embroidery from her mother as a child and turned this passion into a profession. She has held exhibitions and workshops across India and abroad, often at the invitation of the Ministry of Textiles, Government of India. Her work frequently features iconic figures like Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, Mahatma Gandhi, and Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, along with themes such as Ram Setu and Samudra Manthan.
Twitter Post
She promotes rural entrepreneurship through her artistry
Tripti Mukherjee, a renowned Kantha stitch embroidery artist, will be honoured with the Padma Shri for her exceptional contribution to the preservation of traditional handicrafts, women's empowerment, and the promotion of rural entrepreneurship through her exquisite artistry.… pic.twitter.com/zVVO04ZTSn
— PIB India (@PIB_India) May 20, 2026
Award ceremony
Other achievements of Mukherjee
Mukherjee will receive the Padma Shri from President Droupadi Murmu in the field of art on May 25. Before this, she had received the National Award in 2010 and was honored with the 'Shilpaguru' (Master Craftsman) award in 2016 by then President Pranab Mukherjee. Speaking about her achievement, Mukherjee told ANI, "I am very happy because I have been waiting for this for many years...I would like to give the credit for this to my parents."
Cultural significance
What is Kantha embroidery?
Kantha embroidery, or Nakshi Kantha, is a centuries-old Bengali art tradition in which a quilt is made by embroidering intricate motifs on layers of ordinary cloth. It is spread across West Bengal, Tripura, Assam, and even parts of Bangladesh. The threads used to make these quilts were traditionally sourced from old garments or dyed in colors like blue, red, and yellow. With Mukherjee's recognition, Nakshi Kantha is sure to get a boost at the national and international levels.