Phulkari, literally means flower-embroidery – a form of craft that became synonymous with dupttas or shawls which were embroidered in a sparse and simple design. Where the design was worked over very closely, covering the material entirely, it was called bagh (a garden of flowers).Phulkaris and baghs were commonly worn by Hindu and Sikh women all over Punjab mainly during festivals, marriages and other celebrations. These were embroidered by the women themselves and as a purely domestic art-form became an integral part of their lives. Grandmothers and mothers especially designed and embroidered these for the daughter’s trousseau. At times the start of a special bagh would be made after appropriate ceremonies and prayers and the distribution of prasad (sweets) offered to the Gods.