Ikat - A timeless technique!!

Ikat or 'tie-n-dye' is a well known craft that is said to have originated in islands of Indonesia. The word 'ikat' means 'tie' in Malay-Indonesian language. Among textile crafts in India, ikkat occupies a special place. Ikat sarees were once considered so luxurious that they were reserved for loyalty. While ikat sarees are still hard to weave, they are available to a broad range of saree lovers at various prices.

Ikat in India :

Ikat is a dyeing technique in which various methods are employed to create patterns in cloth by preventing the dye from reaching all areas of the cloth. Today, these ikat dyeing techniques are employed to dye the yarn (warp and weft) and then weaving them together to create intricate patterns. The method is pain staking and requires skill and effort but the results are outstanding. There are three major places in India where ikat techniques are used;

Patola - The ikat from Gujarat is famously known as Patan Patola, named after the town of Patan. It is a highly complicated double ikat weave where both warp and weft yarn are dyed and then woven. It takes approximately four to six months to weave one saree and the sarees are usually quite expensive. Patola is considered as the ultimate manifestation of weaving perfection because displacement of even single thread can cause major deformation in the pattern.

Pochampali - Ikat sarees woven in Telangana are often referred to as Pochampalli sarees, named after a town. The weavers here specialize in geometric and abstract patterns. High quality silk is used for making these pochampalli silk sarees.

Sampalburi - Odisha is well-known for their Sambalpuri ikat originally referred to as Baandha. The entire process from tying the yarn, dyeing in different colors and weaving is done by hand.

You can check out our collection of ikat sarees here.