Kota Doria Saree, A Saree was born in Mysore and brought up in Rajasthan
Imagine yourself in the middle of a desert, under the scorching sun, sweating so badly that it feels like you are melting.
But in such a pathetic condition, you still look like a glam- queen.
Sounds contradictory, right?
But if I tell you, it's possible. No, No, Don’t give me a shocking expression.
Keep your eyebrows straight because I am about to tell you the ‘How?’.
In the scorching Rajasthani summer, wearing something heavy is a penance. But the women from Rajasthan have cracked the code.
The girls of Kota have mastered the art of looking stunning and staying cool, both at the same time.
And their secret lies in ‘Kota Doria’, the Rajasthani fabric, which seems as light as a feather.
Where does the Kota Doria Saree originate from?
The history of the Kota Doria has an intensive Mysore connection.
Yes, dear reader, you read it right.
‘Kota’ of Rajasthan is not the official birthplace of the Kota Doria saree.
The tale of the saree started from a place called Masuria, a small part of southern Karnataka, now named as ‘Mysore’.
Historical documents claimed that at the end of the 17th century, Rao Kishor Singh, a Mughal army general, brought some master weavers from the Deccan region to the small town of Rajasthani, ‘Kaithoon’.
Like most of the immigration stories, they came, settled in, fell in love with the land, and made the place a prominent hub of Kota Doria production.
Speciality of Kota Doria saree.
What makes Kota Doria stand out from the ‘crowds of Fabric’?
It is the ‘Khat’, a special square-designed motif which is printed on the saree in its tiniest form.
It is, of course, for the decoration of the saree; however, it contributes more in creating a structural outlook.
A specialised weaving method has been taken up to knit the lightest, most translucent, and gossamer fabric in the world.
What is the process of making Kota Doria?
If you also want to weave Kota Doria, just for fun or a new adventure, then you have to prepare a rice paste and onion juice first.
Many would think I will advise you that you should eat first, then do all the hard work… just the way I do things.
But no dear friend, I am not going to give you any snack recipe.
Rice paste and Onion juice are needed to smear all over the yarn, so that it becomes strong enough for the loom.
Then the weaving starts with the rhythmic sound of the loom.
A wooden peg, called Pinjras, is used to stretch out 30 yards of yarn considered enough for almost 5 sarees.
Previously, the royal Rajasthani used to prefer only white and beige colour Kota Doria sarees for their elegant look, but today, saffron, turquoise, and pomegranate red are the most demanding colours of Kota Doria in the market.
Although the origin of the saree is mysore but, today, 2500 families of Kota still keep the art alive not only in India but also in the world.
FAQs
1. Is the Kota Doria Saree heavy or light?
Kota Doria Saree is very light. The speciality of the saree is that it is totally weightless. So wearing it feels like wearing a feather.
2. What is the Kota Doria Saree Price?
The Kota Doria Saree price varies extensively from saree to saree. The cotton versions are quite affordable; the price of these variants starts from 990 to 1200 rupees. But it can go up to 200000 rupees.
3. How to identify the original Kota Doria saree?
The ‘khat’ motifs the signature of the original Kota Doria. One small square shape Khat contains 4 micro squares, creating an optical illusion. These designs are also called ‘Kota Doria saree embroidery’.
4. Is the Kota Doria saree online available?
Yes, if you search on Google with the keywords like ‘Korta Doria sarees meesho’, or Kota Doria Saree printrest’ or ‘Kota Doria Saree wholesale’, then a lot of shopping options will pop up in front of you.
5. Kota Doria Saree is from which state?
Kota Doria was basically born in a southern Indian place called Mysore, but later on, the artisans migrated to the rajasthan and started doing the craft there.