Traditional Bandha or Ikat Art

Weaving clothes is a traditional art in Western Odisha. In today's world, sarees are very popular not only in India but also in foreign countries. Saptapar, Bomkai, Habaspuri are the very popular patterns in sarees. Excluding sarees, other apparels like bed sheet, tablecloth, curtains, dress materials, shirt pieces, wall hanging, dupatta, stole are also very popular. All these clothes are made by one process called 'Bandha' or 'Ikat - tie dye process'.

First, the weavers do colouring on threads to do the desired designing part with the Ikat process. After the colouring, they do the desired designing with the colourful threads.
The saree designs are inspired by the temple and nature. Weavers are mainly from Boudh, Sonepur and Bargarh Districts of Odisha. Places like Sargipali, Barpali, Bijepur, Tarbha, Patnagad have a number of artists whose main occupation is weaving using Ikat process.

Though the synthetic thread clothes are getting popular, still many people use handloom cloth because of its superior quality and feel. Clothes made with Bandha art are most preferable due to their unique design. Bandha is a traditional art, Like painting or any other traditional art. One need to see the weaving process to actually appreciate the hard work and skill required for the Bandha art to get materialised. The weavers put their imagination during the creation of a material which contains beautiful natural landscape, trees, flowers, fruits, leafs, fish, river, sea, deer, elephant, tiger, horse, swan, lions, hills & mountains, human and much more. In Bandha art, making a human face is possible as well. Not only that, weavers can make one side of the cloth with fish then another side with the swan. One side with lotus and another side with deer.

Check out the video below.