Ikat mainly means a specific art of dying fabrics . This process of dying can be done on both cotton as well as silk fabrics. Ikat is not a new age process. In fact , if we delve into history , then we’ll be astonished to know that the whole art of dying called Ikat was widely prevalent is various parts of South Asia, Central region of Asia, Western parts of Africa and also Southern region of America. So in other words, we can surely say this form of dying is prevalent in various parts of the world and is easily on of the most historic forms of dying. In Malay language the art of binding is referred to as mengikat, the word ikkat is derived from this word itself. History insists that in the 12th century certain weavers and artists came to Orissa who spread the art of dying in that region.

Types of Orissa Sari:

There are various sari’s found in this region.

A Single ikat Sari means predominantly a single colored dye was used to make the sari. Moreover, it might also refer to the fact that either one of the techniques between wefting and warping are used to make the sari.
In case, of a combined sari both the techniques of warping and wefting are used to adorn the fabric. Now, both these techniques can be used separately in various parts of the sari or even used together to create a unique pattern on the sari.

The technique of dying in these saris is referred to as resist dying and are mainly done in both silk and cotton. Generally a list of tools is required to conduct the whole process with exact precision.

These saris are found in huge galore of options both in cheap as well as costly variety. The cheaper one’s are generally in cotton using little dye. On the other hand, expensive Sarees are made of silk fabric and a lot of technique is used to adorn the sari.

Though, Orissa is famous for making Ikat sari’s, these versions are also available in places of Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat and Orissa. Though, it is found in various parts of India, these saris are synonymous with the Orissa belt. The main weaving belt of Orissa is places in Bargarh, Sambalpur, Sonepur and other smaller villages of Orissa. The saris made in Orissa are available within a price range of INR 2000 to INR 20,000 depending on the fabric, Quality of material and kind of work. Needless to say, the more the intricacy of work the more expensive the sari is.

Why choose them?

Ikat Sarees from Orissa are easy to maintain and extremely less hassle. They are soft and easy to drape. Also, being a traditional woven sari of India, it has an elegance and heritage associated with it which is a miss in modern day saris. There are various online portals that are selling both traditional as well as revamped version of these saris.