Patan Patola

Patan Patola, one of the most celebrated textile traditions from Gujarat, is traditionally distinguished by the weaving of individually dyed warp and weft strands to generate surface patterns as per the design. The word Patola is a derivative of the Sanskrit term pattal, meaning a ‘spindle-shaped gourd’. The shades typically used in the style are vibrant, fast and pleasingly harmonized. Patan Patola has been awarded GI status.

Tracing the history of this garment, these Patan-styled fabrics with geometric motifs, tigers and elephants in their patterns were created as luxury items that were exported to Southeast Asia, and was much in demand in Indonesia in the 17th and 18th centuries.

“The warp and weft strands in the Patola style are attached individually with cotton yarn and then dished in dye so that only the unwrapped yarns soak up the dye. The areas that have been shaded are then attached and the strands are wrapped up in the secondary color, so that once again, only the freed regions may be dyed. The process is carried out again depending on the sum of shades desired and after all the colors materialize on either sides of the warp and weft, the cotton strands are finally released.”