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Frosty-Spruce and Maroon Sambhalpuri Handloom Sari from Orissa with Ikat Woven Peacocks and Elephants

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Sambhalpur in Orissa is where homegrown silks are dyed and woven to produce the region's signature sarees. Ikat is the style of weaving endemic to the region, which may have been in vogue in the western hills since the Middle Ages or even as recent as two centuries ago. It is virtually the hallmark of Orissa's handloom industry, and is characterised by dhadi (warp ikat at the borders) and muha (weft ikat in the endpiece). The Sambhalpuri silk you see on this page contains supplementary warp- and weft-work in addition to the bandha, and dyed the earthy colours - slate-green on the field, glimmering red and peach on the border and the endpiece, and pale browns and oranges - of the rural landscape of the state.

Zoom in on the complex field of this saree to ascertain the beauty of the motifs woven into the fabric. Between thick panels of the highly recognisable ikat weave are motifs of the local fauna. Elephants fiddling with the foliage with their trunks, peacocks perched on the upper reaches. These images have been very precisely and uniformly reproduced all the way till the fall of the saree. Do not miss the exquisite endpiece, and the rangoli-esque motifs on it. They are the inimitable result of the weave in question. While Sambhalpuri sarees are traditionally worn to poojas and other ritual functions, you could wear this one to any evening gala with a traditional spin. Your choicest gold pieces would go well with this one.

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Item Code:	SDO09
Specifications:	Pure SilkWeaver Shambhu
Dimensions	Blouse/Underskirt Tailormade to Size

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Weaving a story: The Making of an Ikat Saree

Ikat textile is not an indigenous art that originated from India but it is believed to have come from Indonesia and other countries such as Malaysia, Cambodia, and Thailand. The word “Ikat” has come from the Malaysian/Indonesian word Mengikat which refers to tying a bundle of yarn or threads together. The weaving style of Ikat sarees is special and unique. Although the motifs and patterns on these sarees may look simpler, it involves a complex weaving technique that gives a distinctive look to them. Ikat sarees are much loved in India for they add grace and elegance to a woman's overall beauty. The Ikat textile art has been practiced in India for over a thousand years and in recent years or decades, it has majorly developed in three states which are Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, and Gujarat. Eventually, these regions evolved their own style of designing and weaving Ikat sarees so much so that they are in high demand even in the international fashion world.

The characteristic designs of Ikat sarees are little blurred, multicolored and complex or complicated patterns, and the most common motifs are squares, hearts, paisleys, hexagons, diamonds, etc. The process of producing Ikat patterns requires hard labor and is usually done by skilled and experienced artisans. The steps involved in the process are as mentioned below:

1. Yarns are tied and dyed

Ikat patterns are developed by a special technique called the resist dyeing method. In Ikat art, instead of producing designs on fabric or the finished cloth, they are formed in yarn made of either cotton or silk. In the first step, the yarns are tied in a bundle and are wrapped or folded around a horizontal and/or vertical axis. The bundle is covered with wax or some other dye-resistant material with the desired pattern and the required color is applied. This process (tying and dyeing) is repeated several times until all the colors required are applied to complete the design.

2. Yarns are spun

Now the dyed yarns are dried and spun using the winding machine. Then the required length of yarn is cut off from the spinning machine and is ready to be woven into fabric.

3. Weaving is done

Once the yarn is dyed, the threads are unbundled and wound onto the loom as warp (longitudinal yarns) and weft (latitudinal yarns). The yarns are aligned properly in a way that the exact desired patterns and motifs are obtained. Thin bamboo strips are lashed to the threads to avoid their tangling or slipping as the loom is geared up to weave them. The designs that are formed out of the dyed yarns appear blurred rather than clear or sharp and this is the most important and main trait of Ikat sarees.

Since Ikat designs are created by directly dyeing the yarns rather than the cloth, they are formed on both sides and hence there is no need of giving a special finish to the saree. Ikat sarees come in many varieties of designs and patterns. Simple patterned sarees may take between 20 to 30 days to complete while the process may even go on for months to produce a detailed saree. Ikat sarees remain one of the most sought-after sarees among Indian women and their love for these is only increasing day by day.

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