Sambalpuri Saree is a traditional handwoven Ikkat sari or saree (locally called shadi) in which the distort and the weft are tie-dyed before weaving, produced in the Sambalpur and Dakhin Kosal region of Western Odisha. Saree being a traditional female garment in the Indian Subcontinent, a strip of unstitched cloth, ranging from four to nine metres in length that is draped over the body in various styles.
Sambalpuri sarees are known for their traditional motifs, like shankha (shell), chakra (wheel), phula (flower) with deep symbolism, but the highpoint of these sarees is traditional craftsmanship of the ‘Bandhakala’, the Tie-dye art reflect in their intricate weaves, also famous as Sambalpuri “Ikkat”. In this technique, the threads are first tie-dyed and later woven into a fabric, with whole process taking many weeks. These sarees first became popular outside the state, when later Prime Minister, Indira Gandhi started wearing them, soon in the eighties and nineties, they became a popular across India .
To provide defense to the weavers practicing this art, the handloom silk sarees manufactured in Sambalpur and Berhampur (Berhampur Pattu) in Orissa would soon be included in the Government of India’s Geographical Indications (GI) registry.
The Sambalpuri sari is made as of fabric wicker on a hand-loom, and is popular throughout India. Varieties of the Sambalpuri sari include Sonepuri, Pasapali, Bomkai, Barpali, Bapta saris which have large demand. Most of them have been named after the places of their origin, and are popularly known as Pata. Paintings on Tussar saris depicting Mathura Vijay, Raslila and Ayodhya Vijay owe their origin to ‘Raghurajpur patta paintings’.
