subject: The Exclusive Range Of Oriya Saris [print this page] Orissa is blessed with cultural diversity that is evident from the art and craft of the state. You will find a gregarious range of handloom craft, which are very ethnic, artistic and colourful. The cultural diversity and beautiful landscapes are very much admired by the foreigners and one can find foreigners busy in shopping while they travel across different tourist places in Orissa. The saris of Orissa have gained popularity in not only in India, but also abroad.
The colors and designs of the Oriya saris are very much in tune with the Jagannath culture. The basic colors in which the saris are available are red, yellow, black and white, and the secondary colours have been blue, green, orange, purple, etc. The motifs generally found on the Oriya saris are temple borders, wheel, lotus, and others, which signify the affection of the residents towards the Lord Jagannath.
The saris of Orissa are very traditional and the women wearing those saris are fond of their traditional patterns only and this is the reason why the Oriya saris have not undergone vast changes and have preserved their essence. The exclusive range of Oriya saris can be seen in the Oriya matrimonial, where women wear their traditional saris. The bridegroom also keeps a cloth piece with him that has traditional Oriya designs.
Four types of Oriya handloom saris are woven by the weavers and are categorized as Bandha, Bomkai, Ikkat and Pasapalli.
Ikkat: It is all about tying and dying the fabrics. The weavers weaving the Ikkat saris ensure that very bright and artistic combinations are being woven together to create an artistic piece of sari that is very durable. The Ikkat saris are costly as they have very beautiful motifs and weaving each sari takes around seven months of craftsmanship. The Ikkat saris are also called as double Patan Patola.
Bomkai: It is another variety of sari woven in Orissa and is inspired from the tribal saris. The saris are named after a small town named Bomkai in Orissa, and is believed to be the origin of Bomkai saris. These types of saris are available in both cotton and silk fabrics. Some of the motifs in the Bomkai saris are small fishes woven on the borders of the saris and symbolize prosperity and good health. The Bomkai saris are an exclusive example of threadwork ornament borders and have heavy pallu.
Pasapalli Sari: Each "Pasapalli" sari has squares looking like the replica of a chessboard. The Pasapalli saris are available in coarse as well as fine cotton, silk like tussar and bapta. The weavers also incorporate gold threads and tissues to add to its beauty.
Bandha: As the name suggests, it is also a type of tie and dye pattern where the yarn is tied in portions, and then the sections are dyed in different colors as required. The exclusive feature of these types of saris is that the designs emerge on both sides of the cloth piece. The process to weave Bandha saris is very complicated and takes months to finish.
