Lambani khadi cotton hand embroidered dupatta

Lambada embroidery is an art of embellishing clothes practiced by the Lambadas or Lambanis, the tribe in Sanduru, the Banjaras of Bellary and Bijapur in Karnataka, Hyderabad in Andhra Pradesh. Lambada embroidery consists of the patchwork, appliqué, beadwork and embroidery together.

Lambada embroidery uses a combination of stitches and appliqué, along with mirror work and other embellishments. Tribal women use coins, shells, buttons, cowries and small pieces of mirrors to decorate their colorful costumes, such as phetiya (skirt) and kanchali or (blouse). The motifs are mainly geometrical with grid like patterns.