Keeping Patola traditions alive

Sarees are known as the flavour of all seasons, and when they are made of natural colours and pure silk one cannot help but keep their eyes glued at the drapes. Recently, the Chandigarh Press Information Bureau took an initiative to allow visits and help witness the live experience of saree making at Patola house in Patan (Gujarat). There are around 700 families who have been indulged in this profession since 11th century but now it is only the Salvi family that has kept the tradition of Patola (double ikat) alive. Though the younger generation is pursuing different professions including that of an architect, an engineer and a physiotherapist, they still work as weavers and are fully trained in the process. Its unique qualities like gorgeous colours, designs and durability lures connoisseurs. The ready stuff has no reverse side as both the sides have equal intensity of color and design. Making a saree is a very complicated process as it requires mental precision along with mathematical calculations as a single thread can result in deformed pattern. The whole process – right from unfolding the silk to the finished product – is done manually, without the help of machines, therefore it takes six months to an year to complete a single piece. The range of these sarees starts from Rs 2 lakhs and can go up to any amount depending on the work done on it. Due to the lack of silk production in our country, mulberry silk is imported from other countries to make Patolas. All the silk threads are tied separately as per the design. The process includes tying, untying, retying and dyeing. The threads are put together in a sequence on the loop so that the design becomes evident. Thereafter, the saree is woven on a primitive hand operated harness loom made out of rosewood and bamboo strips. According to Rohit Bhai Salvi, the leader of the family, natural vegetable colours are used for making the piece. Because of a double resist in the dying process, the colour of these sarees never fade. Around 10 centuries ago, King Kumara Pala of Gujarat brought the expertise of Patolas from Maharashtra to make these sarees. But now it is the 16th generation of Salvi family that is trying hard to keep the tradition alive. To inform and aware people about this tradition, the family has converted their ancestral house into a museum where around 100 visitors step in everyday. The family had been a recipient of many awards for keeping the tradition alive. These include the Shilp Guru Award 2002, which was conferred upon Vinayak K Salvi by Dr Abdul Kalam, then President of the country; the National Award of Master in 1965 and CraftsMan of the year award in 1993. The President of India has conferred the national awards for Master Craft Persons to these very Salvi's in 1978, 1987 and 1997. The family had also participated in regional trading workshop for women dealing with modern and traditional dyeing, weaving silk in Asia at Bangkok, Thailand in 1987 and in Haebru Asia Kasuri Road Festival in Okinawa, Japan in November 2000. They had also been honoured by Vishvakarma Award – 1984; National Award – 1987; and National Award – 1997 by then Prime Minister Atal Vihari Vajpayee and many more.