Indian Saree is the most beautiful and graceful attire. Luckily, this Indian attire can be found in unique styles and amazing patterns. History shows that our kings and queens are meant to style themselves in a certain way; with amazing royal clothing styles and heavily embellished jewellery. Isn’t it?
When it comes to fashion, Indian royal families took things a few notches higher. One such fabric that carries generations worth of culture and a sense of belonging, or what is christened as the ‘Queen of Silks’ is The Patola Sarees. While fashion trends may come and go, what stays timeless and untouched is the age-old Indian handloom techniques.
Patola sarees are one of the finest varieties of handloom silk sarees woven with great precision. They are well-known over the world for their highly delicate patterns. These sarees have a rich heritage and culture. Before moving further, let’s understand, what are patola sarees.
Patola Silk Sarees – An Introduction
Patola is a famous hand-woven silk saree from the Patan district of Gujarat. It’s a traditional drape that involves a very intricate and complex process of tying and dyeing.
Patola sarees are also known as Ikat sarees because their composition is done with double-Ikat weave on pure silk fabric. These sarees are dyed according to a predesigned set of patterns. Double Ikat means once a fabric is woven, you can’t differentiate between the sides in color, design, feel, and looks. Due to its unique weaving technique, you can wear these attires from both sides.
Patola sarees are made from silk fabric and woven with intricate designs of zari work. The art of Patola weaving is very ancient. Like Ikat, Patola fabric too uses a resist dye method to achieve distinctive patterns. The difference is that Patola is essentially made using the double Ikat method with wrap and weft threads woven in different patterns. This tying of threads is repeated for each color. A lot of time and dedication from the artists is involved in the making of these sarees.
Getting an authentic patola silk saree is not at all simple as you can’t go to Gujarat to get them. But, you can simply find them at Janardhana Silk House online. We have an amazing collection of patola sarees at affordable prices.
Patola silk sarees are very expensive and traditional due to their 3D images and geometric patterns. These sarees are rich in texture and design. These sarees have a historic significance as well. These are in existence since the 12th century. You can see the designs of these sarees on the walls of South Indian temples too. Though different versions of patola silk sarees exist, in many parts of western and southern India, the original ones are still from Gujarat. Patterns used on the border of such sarees involve abstract geometrical patterns, elephant style, flora and fauna, jewels, dancing maidens, and more.
Inspired by natural and food-related motifs, Patola sarees have an immensely rich color variation and great depth. Designing an original Patola silk saree may take up to 75-80 days. Making a more complicated and unique design of Patola can go up to 2 to 3 years which is of quite higher value. The cost of such sarees may go anywhere between Rs. 1 Lakhs to Rs. 7 lakhs depending on the design and time invested by the artisans.
Patola Sarees – A Status Symbol
The auspicious and traditional Patola sarees have a high status in Indian culture. These sarees have rich embroidery and take a long time to craft. Each saree is unique in design and pattern and is considered a sign of royalty and affluence.
Patola sarees have a great cultural significance too as it’s believed that these sarees bring good luck. This saree is gifted to the bride as her property at the wedding. Traditionally created by Salvis and traded to South-East Asia by Vohra (Muslim) community, these high-status Patola sarees are worn by Vohras, Jains, Brahmin and Bhatia traders for weddings and other auspicious occasions. These sarees are also regarded as the best pure silk bridal sarees.
Different types of Patola sarees
Patolas are iconic and can be identified from a distance due to their royal look, abstract design, and geometrical patterns. The very popular patola saree is famous for its intricate designs and vibrant colors of traditional Ikat art. Based on their origin, these sarees come in different varieties:
• Rajkot Patola• Patan Patola
• Banarasi Patola
Patan Patola
Known for its complex weaving process, this saree is dyed in a horizontal manner. These sarees involve double Ikat weaving which means that the artisans dye the wrap on both sides simultaneously. The double Ikat style is the most complicated and expensive textile design in the whole world.
Rajkot Patola
While the Patan patola is a double Ikat pattern, the Rajkot patola varieties are single Ikat and vertically dyed.
Banarasi Patola
These magical patola sarees are produced with a blend of pure and nicest type of saree fabric which is actually the ancient Banarasi fabric. The Banarasi patola is a next-level luxury defined intricately.
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Themes and patterns of Patola sarees
The themes and patterns of these sarees involve geometrical motifs, leaves, architectural elements, human figures, animals, floral designs, and more. Dancing ladies, parrots, peacocks, mangoes, and diamond patterns, all are types of patola sarees.
Thus, patola sarees are the perfect wardrobe collection that ensures an unforgettable experience. These are status symbols and no bride can miss the chance to wear this collection on her wedding day.
Why is the Patola Silk saree so expensive?
Patan patola silk saree is a rare weave and an age-old tradition that makes this saree expensive. The cost of these sarees is very high and only a few people can afford to buy the pure patola silk saree. The most difficult method of weaving the patola saree can be seen in Patan, Gujarat.
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The weaving is done in a traditional way. Its rarity and the amount of time and effort it takes in producing each saree make it expensive. It may take around 6 months to 3 years to design and weave a single traditional patola saree. A pure patola silk saree costs no less than Rs. 1 Lakh. So, the fineness of the fabric and the complex weaving and dyeing technique make these sarees expensive which is why only richer merchants and noble women could afford them. The colors used for making patola sarees are all extracted naturally from natural sources like wax, pomegranate bark, etc.
Creating a design in a patola saree is a dizzyingly mathematical process that is woven using dyed threads both vertically and horizontally. These sarees are reversible and look exactly the same on both sides. Even the wearer cannot tell the difference. The hand-weaved patola saree is a work of art. The meticulous labor work and authentic ingredients explain why patola sarees are expensive and considered to be an exquisite fabric that is as precious as gold.
These sarees could be an ideal option for both the festive and wedding look. So, grab a patola silk saree online and drape it gracefully to complement your traditional look.
Where to buy Patola Silk sarees online?
If you own a patola saree, it means you are having the ultimate luxury. Want to add luxury to your saree collection, grab the most beautiful and designer Patola silk saree collection from Janardhana Silk House (JSH). We offer a variety of Patola sarees in different styles, varieties, and prices.
The traditional patola sarees at JSH are hand-woven by artisans with the finest quality silk thread and come in multiple designs and patterns. Browse through our latest collection of pure silk patola sarees without any hassles and get exclusive discounts.
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