Origins of Ikat
Ikat is an Indonesian word, which depending on context, can be the noun: thread/ knot , as well as the verbs "to tie" or "to bind". Ikat is produced in many traditional textile centers around the world, from India to Central Asia, Southeast Asia, Japan (where it is called kasuri), Africa, and Latin America.
Ikat came to India through the sea trade route to the coastal states of Gujarat, Orissa, and Andhra Pradesh in India. Within India, ikat weaving evolved with each region developing designs which set them apart from the others. Ikat came to be known by regional names such as Patola, Chitka, Bandha, Pochampally, Puttapaka or Telia Rumal. In Odisha, Single Ikat is referred to as Maniabandha Ikat and associated with Khanduas. Majority of weavers in Maniabandha are traditional Buddhists. Odisha became a large center for Buddhism in the 3rd Century BC, during Emperor Ashoka’s reign when he got influenced by Buddhist philosophy, becoming remorseful of the bloodshed in wars.
Maniabandha, Odisha
Maniabandha is a village in Badamba block of Cuttack District, Odisha- an eastern state of India which is well known for its beautiful ikat textiles Maniabandha is adjacent to Nuapatna and at a distance of 100 kms from Bhubaneswar and around 80 kms from Cuttack, the two major cities of Odisha. Maniabandha has retained its quiet traditional charm with its syncretic culture. This region has a heavy concentration of weavers making wonderful ikat textiles, mostly in cotton and few in silk.
Khandua Ikat weave
Ikat is the craft of weaving with tie-dyed yarns to create colorfully patterned textiles. It is a way to resist dye. Maniabandha’s ikat sarees slowly became famous for their unique designs and fine quality of weaving. Traditional ikat dyeing was done on cotton, wool and silk using natural dyes from herbs, roots and minerals. Special recognition came to the Maniabandha weavers again in 12th century, when a well-known poet and writer Jaydev offered an ikat from Maniabandha called Pata Khandua tie-dyed and woven with verses of Gita Govinda to Lord Jaganannath of Puri. Thereon, the management of Lord Jagannath Temple Puri decided to get the Khanduas – a textile that covers lower portion of body – for the clothing of Lord Jagannath, his elder brother Lord Balabadhra and their sister Subadhra from the weavers of Maniabandha. This honor has continued till date. Maniabandha is famous for its saris which are known as Maniabandhi, Kataki or Khandua Sari in Ikat extra weave techniques. The ikat of Maniabandha is deeply connected to clothing of Lord Jagannath, a highly revered deity, a form of Hindu God Vishnu. Lord Jagannath is also considered to be a syncretic deity, fusing many cultures – Hindu and Buddhism considered to be two major religious influences in Odisha. The Lord Jagannath Temple in Puri attracts thousands of devotees and is considered to be one of the 4 most important pilgrimage points for Hindus in India. The weavers here are masters in single weft ikat weaving.
Technique
The ikat technique in these parts is popularly known as Bandha – the local word for tying. It is special due to its finer quality, curvilinear designs and colors. The colors used for Khanduas earlier were red, black, yellow and white which were naturally available around but nowadays many colors are used. Traditionally floral, fish and animal motifs were used and nowadays geometric patterns are also being done. Apart from Ikat weaving, the weavers of Maniabandha are masters in extra weft weaving, the region produces the finest single weft ikat sarees. There are around 4000 weavers in the region who are actively engaged in the production of sarees, yardage and some stoles and dupattas.
The tussar and ghicha fabrics are then enhanced with a weft designing method based on the cut shuttle or tapestry technique