Making of a Patola Silk Saree in Gujarat: see the hard work involved!

Patola are a double ikat woven sari, usually made from silk, made in Patan, Gujarat, India. The word patola is the plural form; the singular is patolu. They are very expensive, once worn only by royalty and the aristocracy. They are popular and in demand from those who can afford them. Velvet patola styles are also made in Surat. Patola-weaving is a closely guarded family tradition. There are three families in Patan that weave these highly prized double ikat saris. It can take six months to one year to make one sari. To create a patola sari, both the warp and weft threads are wrapped to resist the dye according to the desired pattern of the final woven fabric. This tying is repeated for each colour that is to be included in the finished cloth. The technique of dying the warp and weft before weaving is called double ikat. The bundles of thread are strategically knotted before dyeing. Patola saris from Patan are renowned for their colorful diversity and geometrical style. Patola has a royal history. Silk weavers of the salvi caste from the states of Karnataka and Maharashtra chose Gujarat as the home for their renowned patola fabric. It is believed that salvis went to Gujarat in the 12th century with the intention of acquiring the patronage of the Solanki Rajputs, who ruled all of Gujarat and parts of Malva and south Rajasthan at the time, with Anahiwad Patan as the capital. Legend says that over 700 patola weavers came to the palace of Raja Kumarpal. The ruler used to dress in patola silk himself on special occasions. After the decline of the Solanki empire, the salvis founded a rich trade in Gujarat. Patola saris quickly became a sign of social status among Gujarati women and girls, especially as part of stridhan, items that a woman can claim as her own property within a marital household. There are four distinct patterns which are woven primarily in Gujarat by the salvi community. In Jain and Hindu communities, double ikat saris with entire designs of parrots, flowers, elephants, and dancing figures are generally used. In Muslim communities, saris with geometric designs and flower patterns are typical, being worn mostly for weddings and other special occasions. Maharashtrian Brahmins wear saris woven with plain, dark colored borders and body, and a bird design called Nari Kunj. Source : Wikipedi This footage is part of the professionally-shot broadcast stock footage archive of Wilderness Films India Ltd., the largest collection of HD imagery from South Asia. The collection comprises of 150, 000 hours of high quality broadcast imagery, mostly shot on HDCAM / SR 1080i High Definition, Alexa, SR, XDCAM and 4K. Write to us for licensing this footage on a broadcast format, for use in your production! We are happy to be commissioned to film for you or else provide you with broadcast crewing and production solutions across South Asia. We pride ourselves in bringing the best of India and South Asia to the world... Please subscribe to our channel wildfilmsindia on Youtube for a steady stream of videos from across India. Also, visit and enjoy your journey across India at , India’s first video-based social networking experience! Reach us at rupindang [at] gmail [dot] com and admin@ To SUBSCRIBE click the below link: Like & Follow Us on: Facebook: Website: