Patola saree

Patola is a double ikat woven sari, usually made from silk, made in Patan, Gujarat, India.The word patola is the plural form; the singular is patolu.They are very expensive, once worn only by those belonging to royal and aristocratic families. These saris are popular among those who can afford the high prices.Velvet patola styles are also made in Surat. Patola-weaving is a closely guarded family tradition. There are three families in Patan that weave these highly prized double ikat saris. It is said that this technique is taught to no one in the family, but only to the sons. It can take six months to one year to make one sari due to the long process of dying each strand separately before weaving them together.Patola was woven in Surat, Ahmedabad and Patan.Highly valued in Indonesia, became part of the local weaving tradition there.

The  weaveEdit

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 colour that is to be included in the finished cloth. The technique of dyeing the warp and weft before weaving is called double ikat. The bundles of thread are strategically knotted before dyeing.

Patola saris from surat, Ahmedabad and Patan are renowned for their colourful diversity and geometrical style.

HistoryEdit

Silk weavers of the salvi caste from the states of Karnataka and Maharashtra chose Gujarat as the home for their renowned patola fabric. It is believed that salvis went to Gujarat in the 12th century with the intention of acquiring the patronage of the Chaulukyas Rajputs, who ruled all of Gujarat and parts of Malva and south Rajasthan at the time, with Anahiwad Patan as the capital. Legend says that over 700 patola weavers came to the palace of Raja Kumarpal.^[6] The ruler used to dress in patola silk himself on special occasions.^{[citation needed]}

After the decline of the Solanki empire, the salvis founded a rich trade in Gujarat. Patola saris quickly became a sign of social status among Gujarati women and girls, especially as part of stridhan, items that a woman can claim as her own property within a marital household.

DesignEdit

There are four distinct patterns which are woven primarily in Gujarat by the salvi community. In Jainand Hindu communities, double ikat saris with entire designs of parrots, flowers, elephant, 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 coloured borders and body, and a bird design called Nari Kunj.

Colours

Patola sarees make use of natural dyes like catechu, cochineal, indigo, turmeric, natural lakh, harde, madder roots, manjistha, ratnajyot, katha, kesudo, pomegranate skin, henna, marigold flower, etc in the colouring process. Alum, copper sulphate, ferrous sulphate, tin chloride, potassium dichromate and other mordents are also used, the result of which is vibrant colours dominated by patterns of bright red, dark green and yellow.

Motifs

Be it the Jains, Hindus or Muslims, every community added its own value to the Patola silk. While the Jains prefer abstract designs and geometric patterns, the Ismaeli Shi’ite Muslims prefer the Vohra Gaji Bhaat and Gujarati Hindu women prefer the elephant, flower, girl, parrot and paan designs.

Varieties

Based on their origin, there are essentially two varieties of Patola sarees – the Rajkot Patola and the Patan Patola. Rajkot Patolas are single ikat weaves that are vertically resist-dyed, while Patal Patolas are double ikat weaves that are horizontally resist-dyed. Needlessly to say, Patan Patolas are far more expensive as they are touted to be the most complicated textile design in the world. Both sides of the fabric have the exact same design and hence, you can wear a Patan Patola either way.

Price range

Each saree is priced at Rs.150,000 to Rs.300,000 and this makes Patola sarees part of an exclusive club. If that is too hefty a sum, you can always buy a Patola dupatta for approximately Rs.50,000.