Indian Traditional Textiles

Patola
Patola, a silk fabric, was a much valued textile (than precious metals) in the previous centuries in which the design patterns were created by tie and dye resist technique. The weavers created design patterns in the fabric by tyeing and dyeing both the warp and the weft threads in resist dying technique. Generally in the Geometric patterns the same pattern of tieng and dyeing done to both the warp and the weft threads so that The colour patches created on the weft threads sit exactly on the patches of the warp threads to create a kaleidoscopic pattern which a unique characteristic pattern of Patola.The Textile is reversable, it has no front or back side. The textile now associated exclusively with Patan of Gujarat but once produced also at Ahmedabad, Surat, Cambay, Broach and Baroda.( SI) It's origin seems to be from South India and the folklore story about it's origin goes like this. In the 12th Century The king Kumarpal (1143 to 1173) of Solanki kingdom (942 to 1244) of Gujarat, had deep respect for Jain traditions. He was very scrupulous about his attire and always used new patola clothes while going to temples. The 'patolu' worn by king Kumarpal used to be specially imported from South India. One day, the temple priest barred Kumarpal from entering the temple by saying that his clothes were 'impure'. An inquiry into this led to the finding that the king of Jalna ( formerly a part of the Princely State of Hyderabad and after independence became a part of Aurangabad district, Maharashtra)was exporting the fabric after using them. Deeply offended, Kumarpal fought and defeated the ruler of Jalna and brought 700 Salvi craftsmen to Patan so that he could be assured of procuring unsullied fabrics. It is believed that some weavers also came from Karnataka in addition to those that came from Maharashtra. At a later date, Kumarpal converted the Salvi families into Shwetamber Jains. Patola has traditionally been considered auspicious among certain Gujarati communities - Nagar Brahmins, Jains, Vohra Muslims and Kutchi Bhatias. It was a prestigious item of Indian export to Indonesia and Malaysia around the 13th century where Indian, Portuguese, Dutch and other merchants presented the Patolas to the aristocracy to gain exclusive trading rights. Patola was used as a symbol of power and authority, and even attributed protective, curative and magical powers. In the islands of Bali, Sumatra, Sulawesi, Roti, and Lamalera, Patola, became the preserve of the highly privileged. Prominently displayed on ceremonial occasions, these banners became emblems of power, social status, and economic standing. They were "power cloths", passed on from generation to generation as sacred heirlooms, guardians of the family's or clans prosperity and well-being. popular design patterns are Narikunjar, Ratanchawk, Navaratna, Voragaji, Chhabdi Bhat, Chokhta Bhat, Chanda Bhat, Pan Bhat, Phul Bhat, Laheriya Bhat, Tarliya Bhat, Zumar Bhat, Sankal Bhat, Diamond Bhat, Star Bhat, Butta Bhat, Sarvariya Bhat etc. At present only two salvi families are engaged in weaving Patola textiles.

Excerpts from the book, Textiles of Southeast Asia: Tradition, Trade and Transportation written by Robyn Maxwell

Princes of Java and Sumatra

Prince of Java

Prince of Java Wedding of Sultan Buwano-IX, Java

Sources:
1. http://gaatha.com/blog/?p=104 2. Textiles of Southeast Asia: Tradition, Trade and Transportation written by Robyn Maxwell