Sarees

Sambalpuri Saree is a traditional handwoven Ikkat sari or saree (locally called shari) wherein the warp and the weft are tie-dyed before weaving, produced in the Sambalpur and Dakhin Kosal region of Western Orissa, India.

Orissan Sambalpuri sarees are some of the most beautiful sarees in India. These Sambalpuri sarees are an unparalleled one. The sarees come in a variety of designs and colours to suit every taste and pocket.

Sambhalpuri sarees, with their richly woven borders and pallus are among the most popular Odissi sarees.

The ‘Bandha’ or tie-and-dye or double ikat from Sambhalpur and is one of the several variations of Sambhalpuris.

The Bomkai saree is a recent adaptation from tribal sarees and is named after a tribal village in southern Orissa. It has an embroidery-like work on the border and pallo (the broad band at the end).

Another variety of saree available in Orissa is the Bomkai saree. Produced in a small town called Bomkai in Orissa, these sarees also have touches of ikkat work, like the Sambhalpuri sarees.

This Orissa saree is famous for its fine quality and a look that captures the ethnicity of its state. It has touches of the well known ikat design. This design comes in four colours and can be identified by animals, birds, conch shells and Konark temple patterns.

Leheriya is a popular variation of dyeing in Rajasthan, using the basic method of tie and dye. It is widely known variation of design in fabrics that is produced using the basic technique of tie and dye.

The term Leheriya is derived from the Hindi word “leliai”; meaning “wave”. The dyer creates wave-like patterns by producing diagonal stripes on the fabric. This process is practiced in Jodhpur, jaipur and Udaipur. The Leheriya was patronized in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries by the Marwari merchant class of Rajasthan, who wore turbans of brightly colored leheriya fabric.

Rajasthan is the main center for this style of dyeing. The art of bandhej (tie & dye) originated from here and Jaipur is known to produce the most unique tie & dye saris all over India. Bandhni gets its name from the root word, 'baandh' meaning 'knot' and this technique has its origins in the western states of Rajasthan.

It goes by different names like Bandhej, Bandhini or Tie and Dye.

The process of making bandhni clothes is basically the same in Gujarat and Rajasthan, though the pattern and designs vary. The craftsmen from Rajasthan are easily recognizable because they grow the nail on their little finger to facilitate their lifting the cloth to tie it. On they wear a small metal ring with a point. The Gujarati craftsmen prefer to work without these aids.

Kota in Rajasthan, India is the home of the famous Kota Doria sarees made in small villages around the Kota city. These sarees are ideal for Indian summers. The fabric derives its name from the city of the same name. The sarees are made in and around the city of Kota.

Kota Sarees were also known as Masuria Malmal. These saris were called Masuria as they originated from Mysore. Rao Kishore Singh, the then Mughal Army General brought these weavers to Kota from Mysore. The weavers were brought in the late 17th and early 18th centuries and from then the saris came to be known as ‘Kota-Masuria’. Kota saris are popularly known as Kota Doria outside the state and ‘Masuria’ in Kota. The word ‘Doria’ means thread.

Phulkari sarees is the floral tribute by women of Punjab. Phulkari-The art of growing flowers on fabric. Sitting on the charpoys (beds woven with jute strings) pulled into the protective shade of a tree, or ensconced against a wall, women in villages and small towns all over Punjab are often busy creating phulkari saris. The origin of this beautiful art can be traced back to the 15th century AD.

The word phulkari literally means flowering. It is a form of craft in which embroidery is done in a simple and sparse design over shawls and dupattas. In some cases where the design is worked over very closely, covering the material entirely, it is called bagh (a garden of flowers).