Takdira Begam
A Birbhum kantha embroiderer who has trained hundreds of rural women over 30 years, honoured with the Padma Shri in 2024.
Takdira Begam is a kantha embroidery artisan from Birbhum district in West Bengal. She was named for the Padma Shri in 2024 in the field of art, from West Bengal [1].
Needle and thread
She was born on 13 November 1953 and went to Bhedia Girls’ High School, but her family’s poverty kept her from studying further [2]. She spent her spare time on needlework and kept it up after marriage [2]. At first she drew designs straight onto the cloth in pencil; later she began drawing them on tracing paper and transferring them before stitching [2].
Work and teaching
She has made kantha work for the Central Cottage Industries Emporium, run by the Ministry of Textiles, and has worked with the Taj group of hotels, Paramparik Karigar and Dastkar [2]. Her work has been shown at exhibitions in India and in Dubai, Italy, Hungary and Oman [2].
For 30 years she has trained women and girls in and around her village, about 250 to 300 so far [2]. Many of them now earn enough to support their families and have got out of debt [2].
She received a national award in 1996 and the Shilp Guru award in 2009 [2].
Sources
- [1] Padma Awards 2024: list of awardees — Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India. Accessed 15 October 2026.
- [2] Padma Awards 2024: citation for Takdira Begam — Padma Awards, Government of India. Accessed 15 October 2026.
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