Facts About Khandua Patta Saree You Have to Know

Khandua Patta Sarees have a pious and religious omen and are often a part of auspicious occasions in Odia Households. It is one of the prestigious handlooms weaved in Odisha. “Khandua” translates in Odia to the cloth worn on the lower half of the body. Khandua saree is often adorned with religious texts, and so it is considered auspicious. Khandua silk sarees are world famous for their unique weaving style and the motifs and usually come in red and orange colors but now with evolution and fashion trends, Khandua brings tradition along with trends with varieties of colors and varieties of motifs. Here are free facts you should know about this Pride of Odisha Khandua Saree.

1. Famous Motifs of Gita Govinda - Khandua Patta Saree have the texts of the famous play Gita Govinda by Jaydev. This Khandua Silk saree is categorized as a special type called “Kenduli Khandua '' Jaydev the poet himself weaved the lines of his poem Gita Govinda on the fabrics of Khandua which were offered to Lord Jagannath. The tradition continues.

2. The Auspicious Connection with Jagannath - The special category of Kenduli Patta is offered to Lord Jagannath. The great poet Jaydev initially weaved Gita Govinda and offered it to Jagannath and since then this has been the transition. As the name goes Khandua-(the lower cloth), Lord Jagannath wears khandua and gets worshiped. This fact makes the Khandu saree one of the pious and beautiful handlooms of Odisha.

3. Different Names - Khandua Sarees are also known as Kataki and Maniabandhi. The names are related to the place they are produced in. Maniabandhi because of the origin of the saree and today majorly these Khandua patta sarees are weaved or produced in the village of manibandha of Cuttack District. Today these sarees are also majorly produced in Nuapatana and Manibandha. As both of the villages belong to the district of Cuttack. Earlier the district was spelled Katak instead of Cuttack for which the name comes “Kataki”.

4. The Elephant on the Saree - Khandua is famous for its motifs all over the world. Traditional Khandua sarees have exclusive motifs of an elephant with the Buddha surrounded by vines and peacocks. There are other motifs like a large flower with several petals or the mystical Orissan animal called Nabagunjara. The most unique motif is the exquisite elephant that is the center of attraction. These elephants on Khandua sarees are done by Ikat weaving and cannot be seen in any other Odia handloom sarees.

5. Khandua is a part of Weddings - With all the richness of culture and auspiciousness of Lord Jagannath, Khandua sarees are a big part of Odia weddings. Odia households consider these very special in festivities and weddings. The bride is expected to wear this Khandua patta on the wedding day but the scenario now has changed. Now-a-days brides prefer fancy sarees but many odia flaunt Khandua silk saree on their wedding day.

6. Odissi Dancers and Khandua - Khandua patta sarees are worn by Odissi dancers in Odissi. All the colors that attract the eyes on the stage are the vibrant colors of the Khandua saree and beautiful motifs of the same. Khandua and Odissi have a very old and strong relationship. The Khandua patta got a lot of popularity through the Odissi dance. Khandua is worn by thousands of foreigners with pride while performing Odissi on various international platforms.

7. Elaborate and Natural Process - The khandua saree is weaved with Malda Sik and has got natural colors from nature. The elaborate process of ten hours just for one saree includes winding, warping, design, setting, drafting, denting and weaving. The natural process includes the use of traditional charkha for winding the yarn by the artisans. All of the processes makes one precious khandua patta ready for you in half a day (10-12 hours).

8. Lightweight Khandua - Another beautiful part of Khandua is the weight of this precious Khandua. When reading about the elaborate process, you would feel that this would be too heavy to wear. But when you visually see the intricate work of the beautiful Khandua patta, you would know the beauty of it. All the threads, fabrics and colors used make it as light as just 300gms. You can flaunt a gorgeous handloom like Khandua without being uncomfortable.

Khandua Patta Saree Collection