Bhadohi Carpets: Inside India's Rug-Weaving Capital

Bhadohi, a district in the state of Uttar Pradesh in northern India, is often called the Carpet City of India. Together with neighbouring Mirzapur, it is the heart of India's handmade carpet industry, and it is where our rugs are made.

A weaving tradition passed down for generations

Carpet weaving has been practised in the Bhadohi region for centuries. Skills such as hand-knotting, dyeing, washing and finishing are typically passed down within families and villages, and many households in the area are involved in some stage of making a rug.

Today the Bhadohi–Mirzapur belt produces a large share of the handmade carpets India exports to homes, hotels and designers around the world.

GI-tagged Bhadohi handmade carpets

Handmade carpets from Bhadohi carry a Geographical Indication (GI) tag, the same kind of recognition given to regional specialities such as Darjeeling tea. It identifies the craft as distinctive to the region and its weaving communities.

What Bhadohi weavers make

Bhadohi's workshops make almost every kind of handmade rug: fine hand-knotted wool and silk carpets, Indo-Tibetan knotted rugs, plush hand-tufted rugs, and flatwoven dhurries in wool, cotton and jute. Designs range from classic Persian- and Mughal-inspired patterns to modern abstract and minimal work.

Because production is handmade to order, the same weavers can make a rug to your exact size, colours and design.

Buying a Bhadohi rug from abroad

Buying directly from a Bhadohi workshop means working with the people who make the rug, so you can specify the size, colours and materials and receive samples or colour references before production. Hand-knotted rugs take several months; hand-tufted and flatwoven rugs take weeks. We confirm the production time and shipping with every quote.

Frequently asked questions

Why is Bhadohi called the Carpet City of India?

Because hand-knotted and handmade carpet weaving is the region's defining industry, with generations of weavers and a large share of India's handmade carpet exports coming from the Bhadohi–Mirzapur belt.

Are Bhadohi carpets hand-knotted?

Many are. Bhadohi workshops make hand-knotted, hand-tufted and flatwoven rugs, so it is worth checking which construction you are buying.

Can I order a custom carpet from Bhadohi?

Yes. Rugs are made to order, so size, colour, material and design can be specified. Send us your requirements to get a quote.