Sambalpuri saris are known for their incorporation of traditional motifs like shankha (shell), chakra (wheel), phula (flower), all of which have deep symbolism, but the highpoint of these saris is the traditional craftsmanship of the 'Bandhakala', the Tie-Dye art reflected in their intricate weaves, also known as Sambalpuri "Ikkat". In this technique, the threads are first tie-dyed and later woven into a fabric, with the entire process taking many weeks. It is produced in the Bargarh, Sonepur, Sambalpur, Balangir, Boudh District of Odisha.
Earlier these textiles were mainly offered to the local gods, or Ishtadevata, to seek blessings for professional prosperity and, therefore, included primarily floral and temple ritual-oriented patterns. The Dusphuliya design seen in sari borders, for instance, represents the 10 avatars of the supreme god, i.e. Vishnu. The fish and tortoise motifs, believed to be the first avatars before the God incarnated into human forms, according to Hindu mythology, is also recurrently used in the designs. Other auspicious omens such as the conch shell (sankha), holy seed (rudraksh), etc., are used to generate positive energy for the wearer. It is said that from this religious origin, later on the Sambalpuri textile moved to more secular practices of making saris for everyday wear. However, while in these the iconographic configuration changed to various animal motifs comparing nature to feminine beauty—such as the fish’s round eyes, the lion’s small waist, the deer’s agility and the elephant’s graceful walk—even so a larger philosophical and religious basis informed the designs to bestow sanctity and prominence to the woman’s role in family and society. Until this day, the Sambalpuri textile art remains distinct and prized for its traditional moorings and newer contemporary designs are also strictly adapted to adhere to this larger history and rationale of the art.
The yarns are tied according to the desired patterns to prevent absorption of dyes, and then dyed. The yarns or set of yarns so produced is called 'Baandha'. The unique feature of this form of designing is that the designs are reflected almost identically on both side of the fabric. This versatile technique enables a craftsman to weave colourful designs, patterns and images into a fabric capable of inspiring a thought or conveying a message. Thus, Baandha can be defined as "a length of systematically arranged yarn, dyed according to a preconceived design in such a manner so as to enable a weaver to portray the design when the yarn is converted to a fabric through the process of weaving".
In olden times, natural colours were produced from various flowers, roots and barks of trees and plants and were therefore limited in range. Amongst these, yellow, red, maroon, black and white were more prevalent and categorised as traditional vegetable dyes. Yellow was derived from turmeric, maroon from aachi tree’s bark, and red from jhampada flower seeds. But in recent times new chemical colours are being used. The chemical colour’s resilience, durability and wide variety has led to its demand. There are two components required to make chemical colours—one, hydrosulphate and, two, caustic soda. These two are mixed with the colours to make them permanent. In this process various shades of green, blue, purple, yellow and pink can be prepared. Other types of colours are produced with the chemical napthal, such as maroon, black, red and yellow.
The colouring process, although seemingly simpler, also requires skill and adequate knowledge. Otherwise, if not treated properly, there are high chances of the colours getting washed away and fading quickly. For different colours different procedures are followed with varying ranges of water temperature for dipping the threads and different proportions of other mixes such as chemicals and dyes. Each colour also has a light and deep shade and several aspects have to be carefully thought through, for instance, which colour to apply over which according to their intensities. Yellow, pink and sky blue are considered to be the lighter colours and in these the mixes of hydrosulphate and caustic soda are relatively lesser. Navy blue, violet and green are the deeper colours and override other colours, therefore, hydrosulphate and caustic soda is added in greater measures for these to increase the temperature of water.
When making a colour using napthal chemical, a mixture of napthal and caustic soda is added to boiling water, and the yarn is dipped in this liquid and then dried. Again, the colours are added to cold water and the dried yarn is dipped once more in the cold water. The fabrics prepared in this process tend to run water for a few days, but after subsequent washes the hues start to look even brighter.
Before dying, the loose threads are first soaked in hot water for two hours with soda and prematex and then dried. In a half-dried state, the threads are dipped again in hot water. Due to this procedure, when the threads are finally dyed, colours are absorbed easily and evenly. After all the colours have been properly applied, the final knots are opened for the concluding stage-weaving.
