Ikat or Ikkat literally means ‘tie, bind or wrap around’, derived from Malay Mengikat. The technique results in intricate patterns, which are achieved by resist-tying and immersion dyeing of the exposed sections of bundles or ‘chains’ of warp and/or weft yarns prior to weaving. Multiple colours applied in sequence of re-tying and dyeing from light to dark result in more colourful and detailed patterns. Skilled Ikat weavers plan the positioning and registration of the pattern in the cloth in advance. The more knots tied, the smaller and tighter the bound area of bundles of weft or warp threads, the finer the pattern created. Most Ikat yarns are warp threads, but in Laos, the Ikats are typically weft threads. In the case where more detailed patterns are created, both warp and weft Ikat chains are designed, known as double or compound Ikat.
Patola of Gujarat:
Of India’s legendary textile heritage few are as highly prized as the Patola, the double Ikat silk fabric in which both warp and weft yarns are separately tied and dyed before weaving to create patterns of unmatched richness and subtlety. An extremely complicated process developed over the centuries. Patan (ancient capital of Gujarat) has been the centre for production of Patola sari lengths for centuries and still continues to be the main centre. From the 11th century onwards references in praise of Patola appears in the writings of many eminent poets and authors of Gujarati literature. The hereditary weavers of Patola in Patan are the Salvis, who are primarily Jains, but may also belong to the Hindu community. According to them they were brought to Gujarat from the South of India in the 10th century. These double Ikat silk textiles are mainly woven as saris and are worn at social and religious ceremonies by the Hindu and Vohra Muslim women. Bold grid-based patterns combined with intricate geometrical, floral, and figurative motifs characterise Patola. Some common motifs seen in these textiles are the elephant, parrot, dancing doll, floral baskets, leaves and stars. Different communities had specific preferences of design, usually following the dictates of their religion. Colours used are mainly red, yellow, green, white, and maroon. Apart from the double Ikat silk Patolas from Patan, in the last few decades single Ikat saris are being produced in Rajkot and its neighbouring villages in Gujarat. They employ similar designs as of the Patan Patola but are produced in single Ikat, thereby cutting the costs and time of production. These are locally called ‘Rajkot Patola’.
Bandhas of Orissa:
The Ikat technique of Orissa is known as Bandhas and they have a distinctive curvilinear appearance. The weavers are of Salvi, Bhulia Meher and Gandia-Patra castes. The characteristic trait of these textiles is that the Ikat technique is combined with bands along the lengths of the sari borders and in the end pieces, anchal/pallu, and also occasionally in the field. In these textiles, forms are deliberately feathered so that their edges appear hazy and fragile. This is achieved by the use of very fine count yarn, tied and dyed in very small sets. The design vocabulary of these fabrics is wide and varied: fish, bird, elephant, deer, lion, duck, tortoise, shell, lamp, stars, trellis, dice motifs, architectural forms, waves etc. The Meher weaver community from Baragarh and Sonepur weave in cotton and tussar (wild silk), whereas weavers from Nuapatna use only silk. The dice motif is done in double Ikat known as Saktapar sari, whereas in the other patterns the borders are normally in warp Ikat and the pallus or anchals are in weft Ikat. They use a wide range of colours like reds, yellows, greens, blues, purples, and so on. The most striking feature of the Bandha sari is the end piece or anchal, the oldest design being the Bichitrapuri anchal. However, there are numerous variations composed of rows of floral, geometric and figurative forms, which are separated by extra weft woven bands, at times. Apart from saris, Odisha Ikat weavers also produce yardages, dupattas and bed and table linen.
Ikats of Andhra Pradesh:
In Andhra Pradesh Ikats are known as Pagdu bandhu, Buddavaasi, Telia Rumals and Chitki. Ikat weaving was introduced in this region about two to three generations ago in the early nineteen hundreds. Since the Ikat technique is relatively new to the weavers of Andhra Pradesh they are more experimental in their work. They claimed to have migrated from Saurashtra, Gujarat in the early 20th century and settled in Chirala where they produced double Ikat cotton rumals (square pieces of cloth 44” x 44”) in simple geometric patterns. These were called Telia Rumals of Chirala.
The Telia Rumal, chowka, square, Asia rumaal, indicate the cloth with patterns created by an exacting process of tying and dyeing the threads prior to weaving. Telia is derived from the use of tel, oil that is used to soften the yarn in preparation for dyeing, and rumal means a handkerchief. Originally, they were cotton cloths measuring 44 X 44 inches and were exported to Myanmar, West Asia and East Africa. The fishermen in Mumbai and Andhra used them as lungi (loincloth), turban or shoulder cloths. The Telia Rumal has a square format framed by a reddish maroon border usually 8” wide. Within this concentric structure, are featured geometric and figurative designs in single and double Ikat techniques in black, red and white. The yarns for warp and weft were dyed in natural madder that was later replaced with alizarin dye. After dyeing, the yarns were treated in oil to give them a deeper shade of red thus imparting an oily texture and smell. Telia rumal are/were woven in pairs. The rectangular Telia dupatta was used as a veil by Muslim women and as a multipurpose cloth by men, especially as a Scarf when they went for their namaaz. Telia Rumal has been the mainstay of Ikat in Andhra. Having originated in Chirala, the skills spread to Nalgonda district where Ikat weaving is more vibrant than in Chirala. The festival of India exhibitions and design interventions restored the artisty of Telia Rumal and enlarged the vocabulary of Ikat weaving in the region.
Most Ikat designs produced in Pochampalli have a strong influence of Patola design motifs. Modification in colour and form have resulted in design variations commonly identified as ‘Pochampalli Patola’. The Ikat weavers of Andhra Pradesh have diversified their product line from saris and rumals to yardages with completely contemporary design vocabulary. They are producing single, double and combined Ikats in cotton and silk for domestic urban and international markets. Pochampalli saris received Intellectual Property Rights Protection or Geographical Indication (GI) status in 2005
