Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
The Silk Weavings of Patan
Patan was once the capital of medieval Gujarat, and is known for its Hindu and Jain ar-
chitecture, and Patola silk weavers. We stopped to visit Patan Patola Heritage for a demon-
stration of double ikat weaving, an intricate form, done by only three families in Patan. All
three families belong to the Salvi community and lived close to Raniki Vav step well.
Double Ikat involves dyeing both the warp and weft threads according to the final
design, before setting them on the loom for weaving. Only a few weavers in Okinawa, Bali
and Patan use the double ikat techniques making the Patola a collectible. Exactly how double
ikat was woven took a bit of explanation before I truly understood how it was done, and I
suggest watching my YouTube.com video to clarify.
This family-owned business has concentrated on double ikat weaving since the
11thcen-
tury
. It takes 3-4 months just to
tie
all the knots before dyeing, and another six months to
weave one sari. A completed sari sells for around $4,000 U.S. If you can afford the high
cost, put your name on Patan Patola Heritage's wait list. It will be seven years before they'll
get around to weaving your sari since they only weave two saris a year.
Even a very small square, bandanna-size fabric, cost $300 U.S. Way out of my budget, but
go, watch, and admire this intricate weaving art while in Patan.
