Ikat

Similar in concept to the patolas of Gujerat, Ikats are the tie and dye weaves from Orissa and utilise the yarn resist process to produce a diffused effect on both warp and woof. When eventually woven a pre programmed pattern magically appears on the finished fabric. This method of imparting bold strokes of colour onto yarn is used on both cottons and silks.

Up to the beginning of this century, Chirala in Andhra Pradesh was renowned for an exquisite type of cotton sari, lungi, rumal and yardage in a range of Ikat techniques. One of the products of this place is known as telia rumaj, a popular cloth used as lungi, loin-cloth, shoulder-cloth and turban cloth. Due to the heavy use of tel (oil), in the process of preparing the yarn for weaving, this variety of textile has deserved the name telia., meaning ‘oily’. Chirala, Pochainpalli, Puttapaka and Koyyalagudem have become important centres for the production of what is now known as Hyderabadi Ikats.

Some say that ikat was an innovative technique, first created in India, which was later carried to Indonesia, the only other place in the world with a strong ikat tradition.