Sambalpuri Saree (Saktapar/Pasapalli)

The Sambalpuri saree is a traditional hand-woven saree which requires the warp and weft yarns to be tie-dyed before it is weaved. It usually takes weeks or months to prepare. Produced in various districts of Odisha, it is famous for symbolising various elements through motifs, like animals which adorn the borders and the pallu. Using the craft of baandha, the threads are first tie-dyed and then woven into a fabric. This craftsmanship of bandhakala allows the designs to be almost identical on both sides of the fabric. The dyed fabric can never be bleached into another colour.

Local oral history informs one of the Bhuliya weavers, who came from Madhya Pradesh during the 18th century and migrated to Sambalpur, transferring the knowledge of the Gujarat patola ikat tradition. Sambalpuri sarees are now popular across the country, owing to their commercial expansion in the mid-1990s through textile fairs.

This particular saree is famously known as Saktapar or Pasapalli, one of the many variants of the Sambalpuri saree. With the design and weave being inspired by a traditional board game (pasa), it is woven in double ikat to produce its distinct checked pattern. The saree has belonged to the contributor for 25 years.

Contributed By :

Samiksha Purohit