R K Zari Art

Our workshop, R K Zari Art, is found at 296 Khichripur, right across from the Nagar Nigam School. If you walk down that street, you can usually hear the sound of the needles and the chatter of the workers inside. We specialize in zari work, which is the traditional embroidery using gold and silver threads. It’s very detailed stuff that takes a lot of patience and good eyesight. My family has been doing this for a long time, and we moved to this spot in Khichripur to have a bit more room. The school across the way makes the street very busy in the mornings and afternoons when the kids are coming and going. We have several frames set up where the artisans sit for hours, carefully weaving patterns into fabric. It’s not a high-tech operation at all. We use our hands and basic tools that haven't changed much in decades. Sometimes we have a lot of orders for weddings, and we stay late into the night working by the light of a few bulbs. Other times, things are quieter and we spend time cleaning the shop or sorting through new threads. We don't have a fancy showroom. People usually come to see our work in person before they decide on a design. It’s a small, traditional business and we’re proud to keep the craft going for the next generation. We just focus on the fabric in front of us every single day.