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.
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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".
