Dongria Sarees

Dongria Silk Sarees

Dongria Kondhs are a tribe of Odisha which weave a beautiful handloom called Dongria Sarees. The Dangaria Kandha or Dongria Kondh people are members of the Kondhs. They are located in the Niyamgiri hills (Raygada and Kalahandi District ) in the state of Odisha in India.

The Significance of Dongria Saree

‘Dongr’ refers to the 'field on mountains’. As per the old age culture of the tribes, the unmarried Dongria girls sit at ‘Dongr’ embroidering beautiful geometric patterns on plain handwoven shawls, for their would be husbands. Triangles represent Niyamgiri Hills- the home of the primitive tribal group of Dongria Kondhs. On a later stage, weavers from Nuapatna and Sambalpur took inspiration from these and created length sarees in both cotton and silk, and we call them 'Dongria Sarees'. These weavers incorporate those intricate geometric shapes on the sarees making it exquisite in its own way.

More Details on the Saree of the Kandhs

Their art and craft have been cherished forever for the exquisite designs and affordability. Coming from the tribes, the handloom sarees of Dongria are very organic and natural. This organic process of making the handcrafted Orissa sarees is mechanized to save time. Dongria sarees require dying and weaving the fabric with very strong religious inspirations. Dongria Silk sarees display the charming colours of Jagannath, temple borders and mythological motifs.

The Weavers of Dongria

Dongria Sarees are woven by the 8,000 plus community. The women of the Dongria community do the weaving. Dongria sarees are influenced by the ecosystem of the hills, which is shown even in their art and crafts like the colourful triangular embroidery seen on the pallu of the Dongria Kondh sarees. These sarees showcase an intricate part of Indian handloom and a tribal masterpiece.

The Force Behind the Motifs

They mostly weave coarse cotton shawls and sarees in vivid, bright colours and adorn them with the design of their supreme deity – Niyamraja, the God of the mountains. The tribe lives secluded, hidden in the forests of the Niyamgiri range. So, most of the weaving is done by hand.

Collections of IndianVillez

These exclusive and naturally produced and weaved Dongria silk sarees are considered a very unique and precious piece of art that is the pride of the woman’s collection. IndianVillez has got a beautiful collection of these sarees. The colours are vibrant and the motifs are exclusive. Look at these sarees and own them to flaunt at functions or parties or any crustal events, etc.