Saree Series: East India

Hello everyone! Today I will be showing you the second part of my 4 part series of sarees from all over India. This time I will focus on the eastern part of India including: West Bengal, Odisha, and Assam. Eastern India is well known for their handloom sarees, usually made of silk or cotton. 

Matka - West Bengal 

Matka silk is from silk worms grown in Karnataka and Kashmir and woven into sarees in West Bengal. This silk is known for its texture and durability. The texture is similar to tweed.

Kantha - West Bengal

Kantha is a kind of embroidery from rural West Bengal. It is a very old art, that traces back to Vedic period. Done as a running stitch with nature motifs like birds and animals usually done on the borders of sarees. The word "kantha" is Bengali for "throat" which stems from a Hindu story of Lord Shiva after he consumed poison.

Batik - West Bengal

Batik is a process of using wax and dye to create elaborate designs on fabric. Wax is applied to the fabric then it is dyed, after a few layers of wax and dye it is boiled off. Usually done on cotton or silk it is now done on georgette. West Bengal is known for their Batik sarees, however other parts of India also do batik work.

Baluchari - West Bengal

Baluchari silk sarees are made in both India and Bangladesh. They are similar to Chanderi sarees however Baluchari sarees are made only with pure silk. These sarees are bright in colour and always have a woven design on the pallu depicting Hindu mythological stories.

Tant - West Bengal

Tant cotton handloom sarees are very favoured among Bengali women. They are crisp slightly sheer fabric and usually have a thick border with a wide variety of motifs on the pallu. Tant or Taant literally means "Of the Loom".

Sambalpuri - Odisha

Sambalpuri sarees are handloom cotton or silk fabric that is then tie and dye in a process called Ikat. These sarees are made in Sambalpur and Berhampur, Odisha.  Motifs that are seen on these types of sarees are shells, wheels and flowers, all of which have symbolic meaning

Bomkai - Odisha

Bomkai silk or cotton sarees are from the villiage of Bomkai, Odisha. They are known for their intricate thread work and usually has some Ikat work on the edges. Motifs on the edges are nature inspired mostly including flowers and plants.

Muga Silk - Assam

Muga silk is a type of silk from Assam. It is considered one of the rarest silks in the world and is quite expensive. Made from muga silkworms it comes out a yellowish colour which is where the name "muga" which means "yellow" in Assamese. 

I hope you enjoyed this article. Stay tuned for next week when I feature another region of India and the sarees that originate from it. Thank you for reading.

- Amy Katrina

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