HISTORY OF

DESIGN AND
FASHION
BOMKAI SARIS OF
ORISSA
Orissa is known for its cotton saris in single and double- ikat. The tie-dye technique
for dyeing yarns is locally called bandha. These saris have unusual colour schemes
and graphic characters. Commonly used colours are indigo blue, yellow, white,
deep red, and black. Sambhalpur, Bargarh, Sonepur and Nuapatna in Cuttack are
the best – known weaving centres in Orissa. The most well-known cotton saris
from Orissa are sambhalpuri, bichitrapuri, saktapar and bomkai. Tie-dyeing of yarn
as per the design is a tedious and time-consuming process. Once the warp is ready,
the weaving is carried out on a pitloom. The traditional jala, dobby or jacquard
attatchment can be used to suit the design requirements.
•The example of bomkai, a single village in ganjam district is worth takin
note of as it has kept alive a range of coarse cotton saris such as the
muhajorha naksho saarhi. These are distinct in their use of only heavily
plied cotton, with stylized floral and geometrical pattern in the borders
and muhajorha. These were woven by the patra and nayak weaving
communities for the local Sadhaba (mercantile community), now settled
in the area as landlords. The weavers remember saris such as ramchandra
pedi and kuthi ramchandra pedi, one plain and the other with the kuthi
(check) in the body and various forms of stylized kalera phulia (flower) in
the end piece.
Maa Sada Dega
Phuta Phuta kaunti
santhal patta phutta
kaunti chawkda saarhi
saarhi santhal santhal
chowkda
saarhi pata
Bonda Mae lugda kotapad
Rekti kapda
ringa Kobari pata tarap pata
ganda
 Bomkai sari….
 A traditional figured sari from the southern Orissan coastal plains in the
Bomkoi sari, so named after the village where it was discovered in the
early 1980’s. only a few weavers were still creatimg it at that time, but it
was originally made for the local maharaja, aristocracy and brahmins of
the chikiti tahsil in the Ganjam district a few kilometres from the Andhra
Pradesh border. Although woven in heavy, often coarse, low count
cotton, these saris were always dyed bright colours, usually with black,
red or white grounds and multicoloured supplementary-weft and warp
endpieces and borders. The field warp threads were cut and retied to
different-coloured warps for the endpiece. This creates a dense layer of
colour for the usually large endpiece. Such a time-consuming technique,
which is known locally as muhajorbi ( literally, ‘endpiece with joined
threads’) was once much more common throughout India.
 Originally meant for religious ceremonies.

Sometimes
the whole The ground
sari could fabric of the sari
be replete is usually in
with black, red or
elaborate white. It has
motifs. The multicoloured
contrast in extra warp and
the borders weft patterns in
is achieved the borders and
through on the pallav.
three
shuttles.

Traditionally these were woven on pitlooms with the jala

attachment. However, the jala is now replaced with jacquard.
 Today it is only found in a few traditional saris in Tamil Nadu, Bastar and in
the expensive Paithani sari of the western deccan. The endpiece also contains
angular discontinuous supplementary- weft patterns woven in contrasting
colours. They have such names as rukha ( pestel, stick ), dombaru ( small
hourglass- shaped drum ) , kanthi phoola ( small flowers ) and karela (bitter
gourd), peacock and fish. Unlike many eastern Deccan saris , the
supplementary bands are not woven in progressive order from large to small,
or vice versa, but are woven as the weaver sees fit. Yet despite all the work in
the endpiece, it is the supplementary-warp patterns of the borders that give
these saris their names. A broad band of the supplementary-warp patterning
(the mukta panji) forming a lattice work of small diamond shapes is the usual
design. The size and shape of the lozenges determine its name, such as
dalimba(literally, ‘pomegranate seed’, the design has a dot inside the
diamond shape).
 Orissa is a treasure trove of fabrics, each incorporating a
special technique used to create a unique set of weaves, with a
distinctive palette of colours and designs. Bomkai is woven in
a number of places including the Ganjam District and in towns
of Barpalli and Attabira in Baragarh District in Orissa. Bomkai
derives its name from the town where it originated.

 The Bomkai cotton saris from Ganjam district (southern

Orissa), named after a tribal village, have been influenced by
tribal art
 Mae lugda
tarap
pata/brid
e’s mother
‘s sari :
material
cotton,
20’s,
length:
7m, width
1.05m,
weight
980gm,
origin :
kotapad,
koraput
Kans bandhi lugga/three part end piece sari, material: district
cotton, 20’s, length 7m, width 1.05 m, weight : 980 gm,
origin : kotapad, koraput district.
• It has an embroidery-like work on the border and pallo (the
broad band at the end).
 Bomkai threadwork features ornate borders and heavily
embroidered drapes with touches of Ikat work .
 Popular with tourists and locals for their ethnic feel and tribal
look
 “The speciality of Bomkai is the contrast borders and heavy
designs on the sari pallavs, while the blouses are in contrast
colours.”
Beauty of bomkai sari
 Bomkai combines the tie and dye technique and extra weft
weaving. The double shades of the sari, the border and the
pallav are worked on the basis of colour combinations. Once
the dyed yarn is fitted in, the pattern is worked using extra weft
technique. This gives a sari an almost woven, carpet like effect.
 Orissa still uses the traditional jalas for weaving Bomkai.
Wooden jalas are used and are tied the traditional way by jala
bandhaks (weavers)
 Jala system is the predecessor to the jacquard looms. The
design is tied by specialists called jala bandhaks keeping in
mind the design to be followed in the pallav and the sari. If it is
an intricate design, the procedure is repeated. Otherwise
smaller designs such as bootis and florals are worked through
the extra weft.
 when complicated designs have to be woven, a second set of
jalas are used where motifs akin to the pallav are carried on the
rest of the sari or in case of salwar kameez’s, the designs of the
dupatta or yolk in the fabric are woven in the entire fabric.
Simple designs such as bootis and small florals are woven in
the entire fabric.”
 Bomkai
silk saris
have
enjoyed
the
patronage
of royal
families.
 Bomkai patterns are hand woven from gold or silver
colored silk threads. They embellish the borders and pallu
(falling edge) of a sari.
 Orissa's Bomkai threadwork features ornate borders and
heavily embroidered drapes with touches of Ikat work in some
instances and are popular with tourists and locals for their
ethnic feel and tribal look.
 With motifs drawn from the Shakti cult predominant in
Orissa's tribal and rural culture for centuries and colored in the
subtle hues predominate in nature, Bomkai fabrics are a must
buy on your tour to Orissa with Tourism of Orissa tour
packages.
Bomkai sari
 Bomkai saris have a close association with Lord Jagannath, the
presiding deity of the Jagannath Temple in Puri.
 Orissa saris have extensive usage of black, white, red and
yellow colour, which are the colours found on the Jagannath's
idol.
 The motifs found in these saris such as lotus, conch, wheel, etc.
share a close similarity with the idol of Jagannath.
 Orissa's bomkai come in earthy patterns of the famous Ikat style
of weaving. The Ikat handloom and textiles origin can be traced
back to Orissa's rich maritime past when seafaring traders
ventured forth on journeys to the islands of Indonesia primarily
Bali.
 Drawing heavily from the motifs replete in tribal culture and its
association with nature and Orissa's famous temple architectural
style, the textiles and handlooms of Orissa have entered the living
rooms of people from as far as US and Poland.
 Fabric in Bomkai Sari
 Bomkais are woven in cotton, silk and tussar. The
cotton used is usually of higher quality being 100
counts and 120 counts. “Even lower counts of 80 are
woven. These are coarse with a rough finish.
 Bomkai saris were originally dyed in bright colours like
black,red or white grounds.
 For regular wear, cotton bomkai is favored.
 A Bomkai Cotton Sari is also an excellent choice for any
religious function.
 Bomkai Silk Saris are
generally worn in formal
and semi formal occasions.
 Bomkai sari

Bomkai + ikat
 Bomkai saris come with elegant designs, enchanting
colors for the exclusive women. Some Bomkai sari have
small fishes woven onto the border.

 East Indian ladies love to wear Bomkai saris for their

traditional tribal look, as well as their understated and
elegant color pallette.
 A combination of ikat and Bomkai is very unique.
Tribal influence in bomkai
sari
The Bomkai ikats have motifs drawn from
the Shakti Cult. The weavers of Orissa are
class by themselves. They have been known
far and wide for the intricate and painstaking
skill exhibited in their fabrics.
 Motifs used
 Fish motif is a very common motif found in bomkai saris. Fish
symbolizes prosperity and good health.
 The dominant motifs in this craft include animals and birds,
with the traditional designs being conch shell as well as
bolmala, chandankora, and sachipar.
 The patterns found are: rukha (Pestle, stick)
Dombaru(small hour glass shaped drum), kanthi phoola (small
flower), karela(bitter gourd)
Peacock and fish.
 Flowers, creepers, birds, animals are abundantly woven in
myriad colours, all lending a distinct feature to the nine
yards of woven wonder
 The temple borders, geometric figures and
subtle references to
nature are blurry edged
giving the fabrics a
genuine ethnic feel.
 Temple border in bomkai
sari
o The typical temple border is created by eye and hand and
years of experience.
o Two weavers working in sync, each create the temple border
on their side, interlacing the black and red threads, and tossing
the red shuttle with lightning speed between themselves.
o Two sets of bamboo sticks criss-crossed and tied function like
a stretcher bar to maintain the uniform width of the cloth.
 Weaving process
 In no other colour technique of textile decoration does the
dyeing process play such a prominent role.
 The pattern is not formed by weaving together yarns of
different colour nor it is printed on the fabric :it is made by
dyeing the warp and weft before weaving.
 Following the precise plan , pieces of another material are
tied with the hanks of yarn at certain points. This material
absorbs the dye stuff and is removed after completion of
dyeing, leaving the yarn dyed only where it was exposed to
the dye liquor
weaving process
 The Bomkai design both the warp and weft is dyed according to the
requirement. For border design, warp alone is processed, while for
Palavas and anchal of saris, weft is processed and overall sari designs,
both the warp and weft are processed.

• The simplest method in which threads or yarns are tied irregularly and
dyed once ,yields speckled yarn, whereas eight fold tying and dyeing in
different vats produces yarn for weaving the most elaborate patterns.
Needles to say such a complicated process calls for a high measure of
skill and expenditure and of considerable time so it is quite unsuitable
for industrial application and that is why it is unique.
 The splendid weaving
 The remarkable speed and skill of the weavers creates a peaceful and
serene atmosphere.
 The work progresses slowly, it takes two people about a week to weave
a sari and a few days of dying and preparation of this simple style.
 The jagged edges are achieved by arranging the yarns with not to
precise a position. These yarns of threads were first died according to
the colors required to complete the pattern, usually colors derived from
nature itself.
 The Orissa bomkai sari have undergone vast changes as
weavers try to adapt the designs to popular taste. Vegetable
dyes have been replaced by chemical dyes, though the former
is still available, but the prices are significantly higher. New
shades and patterns have also been added.
 This is a very complicated process and it is rather amazing to
find that the traditional weavers do not use any graphic
designs on paper. The common motifs are borrowed from
nature.
Now with the market demand for new colour combinations, new colours like
rust, dark green, deep yellow, bright orange, red and navy blue have begun to
be used, unlike the usual colours like black, red or white.
Orissa’s classic bomkai sari was recently acknowledged in Chennai fashion
week in Tamanna and Shreya’s collection.
 •THE SARI
- LINDA LYNTON
• SARIS OF INDIA
-RTA KAPUR CHISHTI
•INDIAN SARIS
- VIJAI SINGH KATIYAR
THANK YOU…..