Odisha Handloom Sarees: Weaves and Motifs Guide
Odisha handloom means the sarees and fabrics woven on hand-operated looms across Odisha. The main clusters are the bandha villages of Sambalpur, Bargarh and Sonepur in the west, Nuapatna in Cuttack district and the silk town of Berhampur in Ganjam. Most Odisha weaves use bandha, the local name for ikat: the yarn is tied and dyed before weaving, so the pattern forms on the loom.
Sambalpuri bandha
Region: western Odisha. The GI application lists weavers across Bargarh, Boudh, Sonepur, Bolangir, Nuapada and Sambalpur districts. Sambalpuri Bandha Saree and Fabrics is a GI-tagged weave.
Technique: sections of yarn are tied to resist the dye, then dyed, often several times for more colours. When only the warp or only the weft is tied, it is single ikat. When both are tied, it is double ikat. Sambalpuri is woven in both silk and cotton, by communities including the Bhulia (Meher) weavers.
How to recognise it: soft, slightly feathered outlines, the pattern visible on both sides of the cloth, and traditional motifs such as shankha (conch), chakra (wheel), phula (flower), rudraksha and the pasapalli check.
Shop the weave: Sambalpuri silk sarees, Sambalpuri cotton sarees and Sambalpuri dress material.
Khandua and Nuapatna ikat
Region: Nuapatna and Maniabandha in Cuttack district. The GI documents cover the Baramba, Tigiria, Banki and Athagarh blocks. Khandua is also called Kataki or Maniabandhi, and Khandua Saree and Fabrics is a GI-tagged weave.
Technique: in Nuapatna the weft is tie-dyed, while the warp is usually dyed in one plain colour. The border is made with tie-dyed warp and the anchal (pallu) with tie-dyed weft. A different colour in warp and weft gives Khandua its two-tone effect.
Background: Khandua silk is traditionally woven for Lord Jagannath of Puri. The name comes from an Odia word for cloth worn on the lower half of the body. Its motifs include elephants, lions, kumbha (temple), flowers and lines from the Gita Govinda.
How to recognise it: animal and flower motifs drawn in bold, natural curves rather than strict geometry, with a soft colour bleed at the edges. Nuapatna also weaves ikat cotton sarees and dress materials with bold tie-dye motifs.
Shop the weave: Khandua silk sarees, Nuapatna cotton sarees and Nuapatna dress material.
Berhampuri patta
Region: Berhampur in Ganjam district, often called the silk city. The registered GI name is Berhampur Patta (Phoda Kumbha) Saree and Joda.
Technique: pure silk, using tie-dyeing. Incredible India notes that two weavers work together on a throw-shuttle pit loom to weave the phoda kumbha design.
How to recognise it: the phoda kumbha, a temple-shaped design, on the border and pallu. Fish and tortoise motifs also appear. Berhampuri patta is traditionally offered to Lord Jagannath.
Shop the weave: Berhampuri silk sarees.
Bomkai and other Odisha textiles
Bomkai: began in Bomkai village in Ganjam district and is now woven mainly by the Bhulia community in Sonepur (Subarnapur) district, which is why it is also called Sonepuri. Patterns are added with extra warp in the border and extra weft in the body and pallu. Common motifs are fish, lotus, temple and tortoise. Bomkai Saree and Fabrics is GI-tagged.
Pattachitra: not a weave but the hand-painted cloth tradition of Raghurajpur, near Puri, showing mythological and folk scenes, often of Lord Jagannath and Krishna. Orissa Pattachitra is GI-tagged. See Pattachitra dress material.
Odisha saree motif glossary
| Motif | What it shows | Where you see it | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pasapalli | A chessboard check inspired by pasa, a traditional board game | Sambalpuri silk and cotton, also Khandua and Nuapatna | Brown Pasapalli Sambalpuri cotton saree |
| Kumbha / Phoda kumbha | A temple shape; in Berhampuri patta it is called phoda kumbha | Berhampuri patta border and pallu, Khandua, Sambalpuri | Dark Pink and Black Sambalpuri silk saree with Kumbha design |
| Nabakothi | Nine boxes, each holding one of nine motifs such as flowers, animals and leaves | Khandua silk | Teal and Black Nabakothi Khandua saree |
| Shankha | Conch shell, read as a symbol of om and of prosperity | Sambalpuri, Khandua | Black Khandua saree with Sankha pattern |
| Chakra | Wheel, linked to the dharma chakra | Sambalpuri, Khandua | Sambalpuri silk sarees |
| Phula | Flower; named layouts include ekphuliya (one flower) and dasphuliya (ten flowers) | Sambalpuri, Khandua | Red and Blue Sambalpuri cotton saree with flower motifs |
| Rudraksha | Sacred rudraksha beads, set in rows | Sambalpuri borders, Khandua | Sambalpuri silk sarees |
| Matsya (machha) | Fish, counted among the eight symbols of good luck | Sambalpuri, Khandua, Bomkai, Berhampuri | Khandua silk sarees |
| Hati | Elephant; the Nuapatna Khandua elephant is drawn differently from the Sambalpuri one | Khandua, Sambalpuri (Bichitrapuri) | Blue and Pink Khandua saree with flower and elephant motifs |
| Dongria | Bold geometric patterns inspired by the art of the Dongria Kondh community of the Niyamgiri hills | Khandua silk, on the border or body | Black Dongria pattern Khandua saree |
| Gita Govinda | Verses from Jayadeva's 12th-century Gita Govinda, woven as text in weft ikat | Khandua cloth for Lord Jagannath | Khandua silk sarees |
| Bichitrapuri | One of the oldest Sambalpuri designs, with an end panel of deer, lions, elephants, geese and ducks | Sambalpuri | Sambalpuri cotton sarees |
How to tell genuine Odisha ikat
- Turn it over. In bandha the yarn is dyed before weaving, so the motif shows almost the same on the reverse.
- Look at the edges. Hand ikat has soft, slightly hazy outlines. This feathered edge is a mark of hand-tied work.
- Expect small irregularities. A slight shift in a motif or colour is a sign of handwork, not a defect.
- Match the name to the place. Sambalpuri Bandha, Khandua, Berhampur Patta, Bomkai and Orissa Ikat are registered Geographical Indications, each tied to its own weaving region.
Caring for Odisha silk and cotton
Khandua, Berhampuri and other silk: dry clean only. Store wrapped in a soft cotton or muslin cloth, away from moisture. Refold every few months so zari does not crack along the folds. Do not spray perfume directly on silk. Iron on low heat with a cloth in between.
Sambalpuri and Nuapatna cotton: for the first wash, dry clean or hand wash separately in cold water with mild detergent, as handloom dyes may bleed slightly. Dry in shade. Iron on medium heat; light starch keeps cotton crisp.
Cotton dress material: hand wash separately in cold water before stitching to pre-shrink, and dry in shade. Hand-painted Pattachitra is dry clean only; do not wring or soak it, and iron on the reverse at low heat.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between Sambalpuri and Khandua sarees?
Both are Odisha bandha (ikat) weaves. Sambalpuri is woven in western Odisha in silk and cotton, with motifs like shankha, chakra, phula and pasapalli checks. Khandua is silk ikat from Nuapatna and Maniabandha in Cuttack district, traditionally woven for Lord Jagannath, with curving animal and flower motifs and Gita Govinda lines.
What does pasapalli mean on a Sambalpuri saree?
Pasapalli is a chessboard check pattern on Sambalpuri and other Odisha ikat sarees. It is inspired by pasa, a traditional board game.
What is phoda kumbha in a Berhampuri saree?
Phoda kumbha is the temple-shaped design woven on the border and pallu of a Berhampuri patta silk saree from Berhampur, Ganjam district. It is the signature of the weave, and the registered GI name is Berhampur Patta (Phoda Kumbha) Saree and Joda.
Why is Khandua linked to Lord Jagannath?
Khandua silk from Nuapatna is traditionally woven for Lord Jagannath of Puri, and some Khandua cloth offered to the deity carries verses of the Gita Govinda woven in ikat. Temple records note that Puri's king had Nuapatna weavers make cloth for the deities from the early 1700s.
Is a Bomkai saree the same as a Sambalpuri saree?
No. Both are from Odisha, but Bomkai is a separately GI-tagged weave that began in Bomkai village, Ganjam district, and is now woven mainly in Sonepur. Its patterns are added with extra warp and extra weft threads, while Sambalpuri patterns come from bandha, tie-dyeing the yarn before weaving.