Nakshatrabhusana with Jaala Anchal

Khandua Facts from GI (Geographical Indications) Document: Origin of Khandua traces back to 12th Century AD and it is closely associated with Lord Jagannath Temple rituals at Puri, Odisha. Khandua is the Weave of the single largest cluster in Odisha at Nuapatna. Here, 10,000 weavers are present with approximately 6000 looms. The Weaves varieties are Nabarangi, Tarabali, Gitagobinda Bastra etc. Common Motifs are Star, temple, conch, rudrakshya, fish, chakra, lotus, swan, peacock, parrot, deer, elephant, horse, lion etc. Nature truly is the origin of all designs. Man is just an intelligent being, trying to decipher nature eternally and depicting it through various art. Here, it is the best of single ikat! Single ikat means one out of warp and weft is tied and dyed prior to weaving, giving curvilinear ikat patterns par excellence in the finished weave!

This is a new premium Khandua silk with blouse piece (last pic is of bp), made from 4 ply Bangalore mulberry silk in weft produced by Nuapatna weavers. The color of body is maroon with yellow border & multicolor anchal having glorious motifs such as flowers, conch etc. made by jaala technique (a special type of needlework). It has been revived from an old design of 1900 AD, called Nakshatrabhusana, which the weavers had stopped doing. The design is from a photo on page 130 of the book "Ikat Fabrics of Orissa & Andhra Pradesh" by Bijoy Chandra Mohanty.

The specially designed blouse worn by model can be purchased here- ORANGE SHIMMER GREEN PASAPALI (BLOUSE)