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Question 55 of 58 · Paintings, Crafts, Dress & Tribes
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'Zardozi', a style of embroidery using gold and silver threads, belongs mainly to:

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Answer: Option B — Uttar Pradesh

Detailed Solution

"Zardozi" (also spelt "Zardosi") is a style of heavy, ornate metallic embroidery practised mainly in Uttar Pradesh, especially in Lucknow, Bareilly, Varanasi, Agra and Farrukhabad.

About Zardozi:

  • The name comes from the Persian words "zar" (gold) and "dozi" (embroidery).
  • It uses threads of gold and silver (or gold- and silver-coloured metallic threads), along with pearls, beads, sequins ("sitara"), precious stones and gota (metallic ribbons).
  • The embroidery is done on rich fabrics such as silk, velvet and satin.
  • It is used on bridal wear, sarees, lehengas, sherwanis, shawls, cushions, bags, footwear and decorative items.

The craft came to India from Persia and flourished under the Mughals, especially during the reign of Emperor Akbar in the 16th and 17th centuries, when it was used to decorate royal garments, tent walls and the trappings of elephants and horses.

It declined after the Mughal period, when royal patronage ended, but revived in the 20th century.

"Lucknow Zardozi" received a Geographical Indication (GI) tag in 2013.

Other embroidery styles of Uttar Pradesh:

Chikankari (Lucknow): delicate white thread embroidery on fine cotton; believed to have been introduced by Nur Jahan; GI tag (2008).

Embroidery styles of other states:

  • Phulkari: Punjab; floral embroidery on shawls and dupattas (GI tag).
  • Kantha: West Bengal; embroidery with running stitches on layers of old saris (GI tag).
  • Kasuti: Karnataka; fine embroidery with geometric patterns (GI tag).
  • Chamba Rumal: Himachal Pradesh; embroidered handkerchiefs with scenes from mythology (GI tag).
  • Kashida: Kashmir.
  • Toda embroidery: by the Toda tribe of the Nilgiris, Tamil Nadu (GI tag).
  • Pipli applique work: Odisha.
  • Sujani: Bihar.
  • Rabari and mirror work (Abhla Bharat): Gujarat.

Other famous crafts of Uttar Pradesh:

Banarasi silk sarees (Varanasi), brassware (Moradabad, the "Brass City"), carpets (Bhadohi), glassware (Firozabad, the "City of Bangles"), and leather goods (Kanpur and Agra).

Why not the other options?

  • ✗Punjab is famous for Phulkari embroidery.
  • ✗West Bengal is famous for Kantha embroidery.
  • ✗Karnataka is famous for Kasuti embroidery.

Quick tip

Remember: Zardozi = Uttar Pradesh (Lucknow, Bareilly, Varanasi; gold and silver thread embroidery; Mughal patronage; Lucknow Zardozi GI 2013); Chikankari = Lucknow; Phulkari = Punjab; Kantha = Bengal; Kasuti = Karnataka.

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Paintings, Crafts, Dress & Tribes — Preparation

This question tests your understanding of Paintings, Crafts, Dress & Tribes, a key topic in the General Knowledge section. The detailed solution above uses a step-by-step approach to show the reasoning, and where available, a shortcut that helps you solve similar questions in under 90 seconds during the actual exam.

This topic covers India's traditional painting styles (such as Madhubani, Warli, Pattachitra, Kalamkari, Gond and Tanjore), handicrafts and textiles, traditional dresses, and the major tribes of each state and their customs. It also includes Geographical Indication (GI) tags given to crafts and products. Questions usually ask which state a painting or craft belongs to, which tribe lives in a region, or what a traditional dress is called. Warli belongs to Maharashtra, Madhubani to Bihar, Pattachitra to Odisha and West Bengal, and Gond art to Madhya Pradesh. Grouping tribes by state, and noting the largest tribe of key states (such as the Bhils and the Santhals), helps with elimination. Practise the paintings, crafts and tribes questions below, written in the style of the general awareness sections of exams such as SSC, banking, railways, CUET GAT, MAH CET and CLAT. Each question comes with a detailed explanation that adds related facts, so every question helps you revise more than one point.

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