Saura Art Cotton Saree Cream Red Village Scene Pallu

A handwoven cotton saree from Odisha s weaving clusters with a soft cream body scattered with crimson floral butis a broad red figured border running its full length and a pallu that tells a story huts palm trees birds and dancing figures woven in the Saura art tradition of southern Odisha finished with hand knotted cream tassels Here is how you know it came off a handloom Turn the saree over the red motifs are woven in with an extra weft thread so the reverse shows the carried threads floating between figures a printed saree has a plain blank back Walk your eye along the border repeats each hut and palm differs by a whisker in width because the weaver throws the pattern shuttle by hand on every pick Run your fingers over the cream ground and you will feel fine slubs natural thickness variations in the cotton yarn that powerloom cloth irons out And the tassels are twisted and knotted by hand from the warp ends not stitched on Saura figures come from the idital murals that the Saura community of southern Odisha has painted on house walls for centuries one of India s oldest living mural traditions Odisha s weavers translate that iconography to the loom figure by figure so the pallu carries a whole village in thread Wear it for daytime festivities pujas or any occasion that calls for something with a story Pair with a deep red or cream blouse and brass jewellery the storytelling pallu does the rest