Patola sarees of Patan hit by Covid wave

The weaving of Patola saree started in Patan in the 11th century and their lustre stays even now, but the covid-19 pandemic has pushed the Patola industry into recession.

Patan: Patola of Patan, intricately designed silk sarees are famous all over the world for centuries. These hand made sarees are made by traditional artisan families known as the Salvi families. These artisans were specially invited to settle in Patan state centuries ago by the king of Patan and they used to make sarees and other dress material for the royal families. Till today the tradition of the Patola saree has survived, but the current second wave of the Covid-19 epidemic has once again hit the business hard, with sales down by 50%.

Patola saree weaving started in Patan in the 11th century. Even after many centuries, Patan Patola saree has retained its lustre. The covid-19 pandemic has pushed the Patola industry into recession. The number of tourists coming to Patan city has also decreased due to Covid.

In the 11th century, Patan city was the capital of the vast kingdom, spread from today’s Gujarat to a large part. It was said that Patan King Kumarapal used to wear a new Patolu every day for worship. Patolu was made in today’s Maharashtra, so the King decided to bring the family making Patola to his state. Thus he brought 700 Salvi families from the city of Jalana in Maharashtra to Patan and since then these families are carrying the tradition of hand-woven sarees.

The making of Patola saree is an art, as they are now first made in white yarn and then colours and designs are printed on it. The traditional design is pre-determined and according to that design, yarns are dyed in colours before they are woven. Now, these colourful strands are woven into a beautiful saree. It is an art to create a saree on the warp, as the fabrics are woven into it painstakingly, a very long and delicate process. Made from a single thread, a pattern on the Patola saree looks the same on both sides, so it can be worn on both sides.

The colour used to dye the yarns are made organically from the colour of various plants. These natural colours are so fine that it does not fade for years, that’s why there is a saying "Patola may get torn, but its colours will never fade".

It takes four to five people to prepare a Patola and it takes about six months to finish. Naturally, it’s a costly affair and the price of a Patola saree is in lakhs.

Traders used to sell 12 to 15 Patolas a year. Patola maker Rahulbhai Salvi told ETV Bharat that in the previous year, an average of 15 to 18 patolas was sold, but in the last two years, the sales have come down.

The Salvi families, whose forefathers have settled in Patan centuries ago from the city of Jalana of Maharashtra, has carried on the craft of Patola saree making. Generation to generation the art and craft of hand-woven saree and colourful legacy has survived in the present age of technology. The highly educated young members of the family are also adept at making Patola saree.

Sawan Salvi, a Patola artist, talking to ETV Bharat said that the pace of business has slowed down due to Covid-19. Before the pandemic, they had a lot of orders and were very busy making traditional saree, but currently, the number of customers has decreased and the pace of business has slowed down.