A study carried out by professors of Punjabi University, Patiala, has found that low remuneration has made handmade phulkari (a traditional art specific to the Patiala region) an economically unviable option for many young women who do not want to take it up as a means of livelihood. The research project report that was released on Monday highlighted that the artisans were not satisfied with their income and were worried about the diminishing demand of handmade phulkari in the local market.

The research was sponsored by the Centre for Womens Development Studies, New Delhi. Professor Ritu Lehal, Director, Womens Studies Centre, who headed the research programme carried out primarily in villages of Patiala district said some artisans reported making eight rupees per flower and three hundred rupees from one Phulkari, which takes 12 to 15 days to complete.

The university faculty members studied the working and earnings of 120 artisans divided in two groups those from training centres and those artisans working since generations.