Patan Patola
Also called: Patola · Topic: India, That Is Bharat: Names of India and Unity in Diversity · NCERT: Class 6, Ch 8 "Unity in Diversity, or 'Many in the One'"
Meaning
Patan Patola is a silk sari from Patan in Gujarat, woven by a very difficult method called double ikat. In ikat the threads are tied and dyed before weaving, so the pattern forms while the cloth is woven. In double ikat both sets of threads are dyed this way: the warp (lengthwise) and the weft (crosswise). Because of this, the design looks the same on both sides of the cloth. Patola cloth was prized for centuries and was carried to Southeast Asia by traders.
Example
In Patan, a few families of the Salvi community still weave patola. Making one sari can take months. Patola cloth was highly valued in Indonesia, where local textiles copied its designs.
Don't confuse with
- Single ikat (for example, many Pochampally fabrics from Telangana): only the warp or only the weft is tie-dyed. Patan Patola dyes both.
- Bandhani: also from Gujarat, but here the finished cloth is tied and dyed after weaving.