ASambalpuri sari is a traditional handwovenbandha (ikat)sari (locally called"sambalpuri bandha" sadhi or saree) wherein the warp and the weft are tie-dyed before weaving. It is ahandloom sari produced in theSambalpur,Bargarh,Balangir,Boudh andSonepur districts ofOdisha, India. Sambalpuri saris incorporate traditional motifs likeshankha (Conch),chakra (wheel), phula (flower), all of which have deep symbolism with the native Odia culture. The colours red, black and white represents Lord Kaalia(Jagannatha)'s face colour.

The sari is a traditional female garment in theIndian subcontinent consisting of a strip of unstitched cloth ranging from four to nine meters in length that is draped over the body in various styles.^[1]

These saris first became popular outside the state when the latePrime MinisterIndira Gandhi started wearing them. In the1980s and1990s they became popular acrossIndia.^[2] The handloomsilk saris manufactured inSambalpur andBerhampur (Berhampur Patta) inOdisha were included in theGovernment of India'sGeographical Indications (GI) registry to protect the livelihoods of the artisans.^[3][4]

Two versions of Jagannath iconography

Varieties of the Sambalpuri sari include Sonepuri, Pasapali, Bomkai, Barpali, and Bapta saris, which are in high demand. Most of them have been named after their places of origin and are popularly known asPata. Paintings on Tussar saris depictingMathura Vijay, Raslila andAyodhya Vijay owe their origin to ‘Raghurajpur patta paintings’.

Baandha fabric is created using atie-dye technique. The yarns are tied according to the desired patterns to prevent absorption of dyes, and then dyed.^[5] The yarns or set of yarns so produced is called 'Baandha'. The unique feature of this form of designing is that the designs are reflected almost identically on both sides of the fabric. Once the fabric is dyed it can never be bleached into another colour.^[6]

The salient feature of these saris is the traditional craftsmanship of the 'Bandhakala'- theTie-dye art reflected in their intricate weaves, also known as Sambalpuri "Ikkat". In this technique, the threads are first tie-dyed and later woven into a fabric, with the entire process taking many weeks.

This versatile technique enables a craftsman to weave colourful designs, patterns and images into a fabric capable of inspiring a thought or conveying a message. Traditionally, craftsmen created Baandhas with images of flora or fauna or with geometrical patterns. More recently,^[when?] new types of Baandha depicting portrait, landscape and flower pods are being designed.

It is believed that this art migrated to Western Odisha along with the Bhulia community who fledNorthern India in the year1192 AD after the fall of theChouhan empire at the hands of theMughals. Since then and up to the year1925 it flourished inWestern Odisha in a limited number of designs and invegetable colours and consisted mostly of saris used by the womenfolk of theOdisha.

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Today the Baandha fabric is popularly known by its geographical and cultural nameSambalpuri owing to the pioneering efforts of Sri Radhashyam Meher, who brought about a radical improvement in the skills of the craftsmen and the quality of the products. Other master craftsmen who contributed to the development of Sambalpuri textiles werePadmashreeKailash Chandra Meher, PadmashreeKunja Bihari Meher,Padmashree Chatrubhuja Meher andPadmashree Krutharth Acharya, Handloom Technologist Mr. Ramkrishna Meher. Sambalpuri textiles today include furnishing materials, dress materials and saris insilk,cotton andmercerised cotton in a variety of colours and many different designs. Baandha craftsmen are also masters of the 'extra warp' and 'extra weft' style of designing which can be seen in almost all forms of Baandha textiles.

The factory production of Sambalpuri saris has negatively impacted traditional handloom artisans.^[7]

This sectiondoes notcite anysources. Please helpimprove this section byadding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged andremoved.(November 2021) (Learn how and when to remove this message)

• The Orissan art of weaving, by Kesabachandra Mehera, Publisher: Keshab Chandra Meher, 1995.
• Indian ikat textiles,V & A Museum Indian Art Series. by Rosemary Crill, Victoria and Albert Museum. V & A Publications, 1998.ISBN 1851772421.

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21°30′54″N83°55′00″E / 21.515076°N 83.916572°E /21.515076; 83.916572

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