Patola silk

About Patan -Patola Silk Sarees. Gujrat

1. Patola Saree Presented by Kajama Chakma Nickita Batham Deepankar Bishwash Anand Gopi

2. Introduction Patolas are hand-woven silk sarees that are created in Patan , Gujarat . It is a double ikkat saree. It has a heritage of Gujarat. It is also a GI. Patola Silk is often termed as the queen of all silks The name Patola is derived from the Sanskrit word  Pattakulla . The craft of weaving them rests exclusively with the Salvi family in Patan who manufacture Patolas for royalty and aristocracy.

3. History & Origin The Patola fabric is said to be of Gujarat origin , but its earliest mentions can be found in religious texts The art of Patola sarees flourished with the arrival and settlement of Salvi weavers from Karnataka and Maharashtra in Patan under the patronage of royal Solanki Rajputs and affluent people of Gujarat . In fact, till date the Patola silk sarees are quite a rage in the Southern part of India. The religious text, Narsimha Puran , also mentions that this fabric being worn by women during ceremonies and holy occasions . T he earliest mentions of Pattakulla appear only after the eleventh century. Something to take pride in is the fact that the fabric also finds its place in Premchand’s poetry and that of several others too.

4. Patola Sarees – a Symbol of Status Traditionally created by the Hindu Salvi caste and traded to South–East Asia by the Muslim Vohra community, this costly and high status oriented Patola sarees were worn by the Vohras and well off Jains and Hindus (Brahmins and Bhatia traders) for weddings and other propitious occasions. The sarees became symbol of status and part of wedding brocade dresses and from then on, are regarded as best pure silk bridal wears. Bhatia traders) for weddings and other propitious occasions. The sarees became symbol of status and part of wedding brocade dresses and from then on, are regarded as best pure silk bridal wears.

5. Making Of Patola The Patolas are produced from thousand of years by the same process as it was before till to day. No technician is in position to make a single percent modification in the technique and the process of preparing of Patola , as it is a special technique. Patola weaving is one of the difficult forms of weaving in the world which follows the double ikat (tie and dye) style for the warp and weft yarns dyed according to the pre-design patterns before dyeing. To create a patola sari, both the warp and weft threads are wrapped to resist the dye according to the desired pattern of the final woven fabric. This tying is repeated for each color that is to be included in the finished cloth. The technique of dying both the warp and weft before weaving is called double ikat . The bundles of thread are strategically knotted before dyeing. Patola saris from Patan are renowned for their colorful diversity and geometrical style.

6. - Thread inked in black coal solution The inked thread is used to mark the designs on the yarn

7. The markings are tied with cotton thread soaked in water

8. When dyed the exposed and untied area absorb the color

9. To color the tied area the threads are removed and areas which are colored and dyed again in different color .

10. The process is repeated till the required number of colors to be dyed.

11. The threads which are multicoloured looks like this after final dying

12. Yarn designed with geometrical pattern Plain colour dyed threads are added in the warp where it is required

13. The threads are untangled and arranged properly. Bamboo shuttle is used to interlock the thread while weaving.

14. Final output of the p atola saree weaving

15. Material used in Making From more than 100 of years the material used in P atola sarees have always been pure silk with vegetable or natural colours These dyes is that they create a proper harmony and co-ordination even when contrast colours are used, they are pleasing to the eyes and are eco friendly and hygienic. Some of natural dyes used are haldi, madar roots, manjistha, ratanjyot, indigo, mehndi , katha , kesudo , promogranate skin etc to name the few.

16. Design and Pattern In  Jain and Hindu communities, double  ikat  saris with entire designs of parrots, flowers, elephants, and dancing figures are generally used. In  Muslim communities, saris with geometric designs and flower patterns are typical, being worn mostly for weddings and other special occasions.  Maharashtrian Brahmins  wear saris woven with plain, dark colored borders and body, and a bird design called Nari Kunj   . global ° Patola or the double ikat saree are usually renowned for their geometrical and colorful ranges with motifs of flowers, jewels, flora fauna, parrots, elephants, dancing figures with plain, dark and colored borders on pallu and body of the saree.

17. Key features- 1. Equal design and wearable on both sides. Even weavers can’t identify which is the front or back once the weaving is over.  2. Only 3 families in Pattan make them today, out of the original 700 families. 3. 3 people take 4 to 6 months to weave one saree which is 5.5 meters long and 48 inches wide. 4. No computers or power looms are used. Mental calculations, deep concentration, patience, undivided attention and a lot of hard work are the skill sets that make one saree. 5. The measurement tapes (which can measure up to 100th part of an inch) are the same which were invented 1000 years ago. 6. Made only in silk ( patt is short for ‘ Pattakalam ’ which means silk in Sanskrit) as it lasts 80 to 100 years. They consider making it in cotton a waste of their time as it will tear in 40 to 50 years.