Part VII — Reference
Chapter 21: Glossary of Kannada and Craft Terms
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Kasuti | The embroidery tradition itself; from Kannada kai (hand) and suti (cotton) — a traditional, though not fully linguistically verified, etymology. |
| Gavanti / Gavanthi / Ganti | The double running stitch; Kasuti's most-used stitch. Name traditionally linked to a Kannada word for "knot." |
| Murgi / Muragi | The zig-zag, ladder-form running stitch, closely related to Gavanti. |
| Negi / Neygi / Neyge / Nyege | The darning/weaving stitch; from Kannada ney, "to weave." Not reversible. |
| Menthi / Menthe / Menthya / Henthe | The cross stitch; named for its resemblance to fenugreek (menthya) seeds. Least reversible of the four. |
| Buti | A single, self-contained repeatable motif unit, the basic building block of a Kasuti border. |
| Gopura | A South Indian temple gateway tower; one of Kasuti's most iconic architectural motifs. |
| Ratha | A ceremonial temple chariot; a common processional motif. |
| Pallakki | A palanquin; a ceremonial carrying-vehicle motif, often paired with the ratha. |
| Ambari / Howdah | A ceremonial seat or platform carried on an elephant's back, frequently shown in elephant motifs. |
| Tulsi katte / Tulsi vrundavan | A raised household shrine enclosure for the sacred tulsi (holy basil) plant. |
| Deepa | An oil lamp motif, symbolically linked to wisdom. |
| Navilu | Peacock; a common bird motif associated with beauty. |
| Jinke | Deer. |
| Chandrakali / Chandrakala | A traditional black silk bridal saree, classically embroidered with Kasuti and often bordered in red. |
| Ilkal saree | A handwoven cotton/cotton-silk saree from Ilkal, Bagalkot district, traditionally the most common ground fabric for Kasuti. |
| Topeteni | The weft-interlocking weaving technique used to join the pallu to the body of an Ilkal saree. |
| Ravike | A blouse, traditionally sometimes embroidered with Kasuti and gifted at childbirth. |
| Kunchi | A child's bonnet-and-cape, another traditional Kasuti-embroidered infant garment. |
| Kulai | A bonnet; one of the five traditional garment types for Kasuti work. |
| Lenga | A skirt; one of the five traditional garment types for Kasuti work. |
| Kusuba | A bodice/blouse piece; one of the five traditional garment types for Kasuti work. |
| Seragu | The pallav/pallu of a sari; one of the five traditional garment types for Kasuti work. |
| GI tag | Geographical Indication: a legal registration tying a craft's name to its region and traditional method of production. |
| KHDC / KSHDC | Karnataka (State) Handicrafts Development Corporation, the body holding Kasuti's GI registration. |
| Waste canvas / cotton net method | A removable counted-thread guide tacked over ordinary fabric, used to embroider Kasuti on non-even-weave cloth; withdrawn thread-by-thread once stitching is complete. |
| Khun / khana | A coarse, glossy handloom cotton typical of the region, used as a modern Kasuti ground fabric for garments. |