Fashion of Gujarat ( Patola saare)

Gujarat’s famous weave,patola,is high on list. The name patola is derived from the sanskrit word “pattakulla” and is the plural form of the word patolu. Even though the patola fabric is said to be of Gujarati origin.These saari being worn by women during ceremonies and holy occasions.It is rich trade in gujrat.Patola saris is a sign of social status among Gujarati women. Patola is double ikat woven sari,usually made from silk.Patola originated 900 years ago.It is normally takes three people about four to seven months and it can also take up to a year to weave a patola saare. Making it expensive and time consuming. During weaving the yarn undergoes multiple cycle of tying and dying,following a specific order of colours. Displacement of even a single yarn can disturb the design arrangement and make  the entire set redundant.Every colour has a unique place in the design which needs to be carefully aligned while weaving it.Patola are generally represented by abstract design and geometric patterns.Elephant,human,figure,kalash,flowers,shikhar,paan and parrots as well as designs inspired by the architecture of Gujrat are popular.The complexity and time Intensiveness is what makes patola so valuable.weavers use natural dyes like catechu,cochined,indigo,turmeric, natural lakh,henna and marigoare used in making them.The double ikat weave means once the saree  or fabric is woven, you can’t differentiate between the side ,the colour and the intensity,the feel and the look are the same on the both side. Patola weaving requires a lot of mental calculations,patience.their unfading bright colors and their rich history add to their uniqueness.