Sambalpuri saree; The Saree from Odisha, woven using 5000 year old technique

If you walk through the narrow alleys of  Bhubaneswar, along with the chime of ‘Ghanta’ (temple bell) and the smell of ‘khaja’, you will surely see something magical in the form of fabric. Seeing which you feel like observing the rise and fall of the kalingo in front of your own eyes.

Dear reader, imagine! If seeing a saree feels like this, then how does it feel to wear? 

This is the essence of Sambalpuri. A 6-yard story told in silk and cotton with dramatic motifs of Shankha, Chakra, and Phull.

The speciality of the saree lies in its woven technique. The intricate designs and colourful body are woven using the ‘Bandha method,’ an ancient weaving process that originated 5,000 years ago in Egypt.

Before diving deep, let me explain to you what's so special about ‘bandhakala.’ In this weaving art, the threads are first tied and dyed, and then the weaving starts. While in others, it's just the opposite.

This method basically helps the threads to protect their glazes for decades. 

Who popularised the Sambalpuri saree?

As the most expensive handwoven saree, this saree has an emerging market demand. In the 1980s and 1990s, the disruption of Sambalpuri suddenly broke out. As our First Lady Prime Minister, Mrs Indira Gandhi, used to wear this saree on different public occasions.

In her biography, it is written that she was fascinated by the charming grace of Sambalpuri. Whenever she used to visit places or attend party meetings, she used to wear this particular saree.

Her extreme devotion towards this antique fabric made it very popular among Indian girls during that era. The way she used to flaunt her fashion, observing that Doordarshan news anchors also started wearing sambalpuri in the '80s.

Villages of Koshal, like Sonepur, Barpali, and Bargarh, are considered to be one of the authentic hubs of Sambalpuri.

Bhulias, a special tribe that migrated from northern India to Odisha, are considered one of the traditional weaving artists of Sambalpuri, who still keep the art alive for generations.

Meet the most skilled weaver of the Sambalpuri saree 

Master craftsmen, Radhashyam Meher, also known as the “Parda agent”, brought this textile to global recognition. 

History recorded that he is the one who first wove the threads  90 inches wide by his own hand. His extreme achievements in weaving art made him the supplier of furnished cloths for the Bihar Government and the Odisha Government. 

If you have Ikkat, Bomkai, Koraput, or even the Khandua pata, the saree specially woven by Odia Brahmins for Lord Jagannath, in your closet, then you can also proudly say that you have a Sambalpuri silk in your wardrobe.

But still the glamour of this saree relies on the handwoven Raghunathpur style paintings of Mthura Vijay, Raslila, and Ayodhya Vijay on the pallu of the Sambalpuri.   

FAQs

1. Why is the Sambalpuri Saree so famous?

Sambalpuri saree is famous because of its intricate designs, bright colours and amazing skilled weavings.

2. How to identify the real sambal saree?

Now every sambalpuri has its own GI tag along with an authentic certification mark. Whenever you buy a Sambalpuri, you automatically get that QR code through which you can get the government-certified authentication mark.

3. Which places got the GI tag from the Government of India for the Sambalpuri silk saree manufacturing?

Behrampur and Sambalpur are the places that got the GI tag for their skilled production of the Sambalpuri Ikkat.

4. Why is it called the Sambalpuri saree Odisha?

It is called the Sambalpuri saree Odisha because it is produced in the sambalpur, Odisha.

5. From where can you get sambalpuri saree?

You can get the best Sambalpuri saree online.