Pattachitra Cotton Saree Cream Maroon Wheel Medallion

A handwoven Odisha cotton saree printed with a striking all over Pattachitra inspired motif repeating maroon chakra wheel medallions framed inside ornate arched temple gates on a soft cream ivory cotton body The two tone palette is deliberate a single deep maroon natural dye across an undyed cream cotton field with the design grid running edge to edge How to recognise this as handloom Pattachitra print cotton the wheel medallions are placed by hand block not machine Look across the body and you will see that each medallion sits at a slightly different angle from its neighbour the printer aligned each block by eye against the warp The maroon dye is natural and has soaked into the cotton so the motifs are visible from the reverse at near full saturation The cream cotton body itself is pit loom woven feel for warp slubs along the length and you ll find them every few inches Powerloom printed polyester or mill cotton in this style will sit crisp on the surface and feel papery in the hand this cotton breathes and drapes with weight Pattachitra is Odisha s painted cloth temple art tradition from Raghurajpur and Puri The chakra and arch motif is drawn directly from the iconography of the Jagannath temple the wheel of Konark the temple gate repeated as a meditation on darshan The weavers and printers in western Odisha have translated this temple painting language onto everyday cotton A high statement daytime saree for cultural events art gallery evenings daytime weddings and festival lunches Pair with a solid maroon or cream silk blouse statement gold or oxidised jewellery and a Kanchi or temple gold border bangle stack