Sisir Saras: Kotpad weaving wows visitors

Post News Network

Bhubaneswar:The ongoing Sisir Saras craft fair housing Kotpad handloom fabrics and dress material is attracting customers in large numbers due to its traditional and organic textile value. Kotpad fabric is the first item from Orissa that acquired the Geographical Indication (GI) of India tag in 2005 and has helped the tribal weavers of Mirigan community of Kotpad in Koraput district to continue their traditional weaving. The weavers of Kotpad have been making fabrics since third century. Hemanta Mohanta of Kotpad, who has set up a stall displaying the fabric at the Sisir Saras, said people are coming in horder to buy sarees and shawls.

There was also a live demonstration of fabric making for the buyers. Initially, fabric-making was not a simple task with organic vegetable dye (colour) procured from aul trees in Koraput jungles. Cotton yarn is soaked in the dye, dung, wood ash and castor oil to generate organic colour which is used in the threads and weaving. The natural dyes are extracted from the aul tree.

It takes about 15 to 30 days to extract colours and to dye the threads. Woven in traditional looms with extra weft patterning, the dyed cotton yarn is decorated with motifs and treated to a solid border effect on the fabric, using a multi-shuttle knit pattern, which allows for innumerable combinations in scale and volume. However, only one saree of a particular type can be woven once the loom is set in motion, he added. Mohanta said the Mirigan community is the only community that knows the process of making Kotpad fabrics and a very few families are working on this. It is eco-friendly, non-toxic, and harmless for the skin.

Mohanta said the uniqueness of the fabric is that it is absolutely non-chemical. Cotton sarees and shawls made out of the fabric have appealed to customers. “We sell the material up to Rs 1 lakh on the weekends,” he added. Rajesh Mohanta, who has been selling Kotpad fabric for the past 70 years, said they used to sell the fabric at the local market. “With the help of exhibitions like this, we are able to attract more people to the advantage of our community,” he claimed. Shalini Mohanty, a buyer, said organic style of making fabric has attracted her. The organisers have claimed that the business at Sisir Saras has earned about Rs.1.18crore so far. “We hope to earn Rs 11crore this year,” they added.