Panja dhurries are handwoven, dyed cotton yarn rugs, famous for sturdiness and durability. The name comes from a metal tool shaped like a Panja (Hindi for "claw"), used to weave cross-wise threads on a loom. Since the rugs are woven, the Panja dhurries are lightweight and reversible, unlike knotted carpets.

In the late 18th Century, a painting created for the wife of the British governor of Bengal, Lady Impey, features a striped Indian dhurrie.

Artists first weaved in red, orange, indigo and green, and featured stripes and geometric shapes. Some noteworthy designs include trees of life, blooms and birds, medallion patterns and hunting scenes. Men and women set up their panja and pit looms to weave their creations. While men dyed the yarn, women handspun the cotton. Ahmedabad’s Calico Museum of Textiles and the British Museum in London both showcase dhurries.

The technique flourished in the early 19th century under different names - dari or satranji in North India and as jamkhana in South India. Satranji-weaving is mentioned in texts like Ain-i-Akbari, as well as in paintings of Mughal emperors.

The Maharaja of Jaipur, Swami Ram Singh II, was so impressed by the art, he empowered prisoners in local jails to become weavers. Several prisons like Delhi's Tihar Jail still offer dhurrie-making as a profession for inmates. These rugs are sold as part of Tihar Haat, a handicraft fair. In the late 1930s, the government of the former United Provinces awarded the All India Weaving and Printing Competition to Bikaner Central Jail.

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