The Princely state of Patiala, usually known for its handicrafts, jutis and parandis, now seems to be wooing the NRI Punjabis with their rich phulkari embroidered suits, stitched in the quintessential Patialvi style.

Carried out traditionally by women in the rural areas of Punjab, the intricacy and range of design and detail that the phulkari offers, has drawn a large number of craft lovers to Patiala. The prices of the art work have also gone up and now a hand worked phulkari can be yours for no less than Rs 10,000.

A big hit with the NRIs, the phulkari is catching up with the foreigners as well, who buy these not only for wearing purposes but also for the lucrative profits by selling them abroad.

Seeing the response it’s generated, it’s no surprise that connoisseurs of this exquisite handicraft often refer to Patiala as a paradise for the choicest hand-embroidered phulkari suits. “These are as beautiful as the people of this country, traditional, yet sophisticated like modern India,” said Gagandeep Ruby Dhaliwal, an NRI from UK who was quite taken to the craft.

Thanks to the rise in demand, the age old traditional embroidery has now gone hi-tech. Many export houses and boutiques now use computer designs and colours to stitch a pattern on to the suits. The tedious work is now complete in hours.

The exporters claim the machine-made embroidery has a longer life and is convenient to look after than the hand embroidered phulkari. “It is catching up fast in terms of business and technology has helped us cater to our NRI clients on time,” says owner of Makhan Singh and Sons, who export the suits to the US and the UK.