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ChicagoImpart Encyclopedia of Art. "Suber Phulkari." April 21, 2022. https://imp-art.org/articles/suber-phulkari/.
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MLA"Suber Phulkari." Impart Encyclopedia of Art, Apr. 21, 2022, https://imp-art.org/articles/suber-phulkari/.
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HarvardImpart Encyclopedia of Art (2022) Suber Phulkari. Available at: https://imp-art.org/articles/suber-phulkari/ (Accessed: 3 March 2026).
A type of phulkari worn by Punjabi brides during their wedding ceremonies, the suber phulkari is an embroidered odhani that is used as a veil by a Hindu or Sikh bride as she takes the ritual pheras, or circumambulations, with the groom.
Along with other phulkaris, such as the chope, the suber is a key garment in Punjabi weddings and is traditionally embroidered by the bride’s maternal grandmother. Suber phulkaris are embroidered with yellow thread on a red base cloth, which signifies fertility. Their distinguishing feature is the presence of five eight-petalled lotus motifs — one in each corner and one in the centre.
Suber phulkaris continue to be produced by families in Punjab today.
First published: 21 April 2022
Jayaram, Smita. “The Fading Art of Phulkari.” J’AIPUR Journal, July 18, 2018. https://www.jai-pur.com/journal_entry/the-fading-art-of-phulkari/.
Lal, Krishna. Phulkari: From the Realm of Women’s Creativity: A Tradition of Handmade Embroidery of Punjab and Haryana: Selected Pieces from the Archives of IGNCA. New Delhi: Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts, 2013.
Mason, Darielle, and Cristin McKnight Sethi. Phulkari: The Embroidered Textiles of Punjab from the Jill and Sheldon Bonovitz Collection. Philadelphia Museum of Art, 2017.
Ranjan, Aditi, and M. P. Ranjan. Handmade in India: Crafts of India. New Delhi: Mapin, 2007.
Sarda, Kritika. “Phulkari: Woven into Tradition.” Live History India, June 16, 2017. https://www.livehistoryindia.com/story/forgotten-treasures/phulkari-woven-into-tradition/.