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 Textile heritage of Orissa reflects the true artistic capabilities and superior craftsmanship of Orissa. Drawing heavily from the motifs replete in tribal culture and its association with nature and Orissa's famous temple architectural style, the textiles and handlooms of Orissa have entered the living rooms of people from as far as US and Poland. Popular with tourists and locals for its ethnic look and tribal feel, textiles and handlooms of Orissa are yours to see, touch, try on, and buy, on your tour to Orissa with Tourism of Orissa tour packages.
Handlooms of Orissa are mainly available in cotton and silk though the colors, patterns and methods of weaving differ for the two textured materials. The cotton fabrics with heavy drapes are woven of fine cotton threads tightly held together. The fabric is flannel like to touch for its soft wooly weaving, unlike the luster of precious stones and metals of the silk fabrics.
Orissa's cotton handlooms and textiles come in earthy patterns of the famous Ikat style of weaving. The Ikat handloom and textiles origin can be traced back to Orissa's rich maritime past when seafaring traders ventured forth on journeys to the islands of Indonesia primarily Bali.
The temple borders, geometric figures and subtle references to nature are blurry edged, giving the fabrics a genuine ethnic feel. The jagged edges are achieved by arranging the yarns with not to precise a position. These yarns of threads were first died according to the colors required to complete the pattern, usually colors derived from nature itself.
Orissa's Bomkai threadwork features ornate borders and heavily embroidered drapes with touches of Ikat work in some instances and are popular with tourists and locals for their ethnic feel and tribal look. With motifs drawn from the Shakti cult predominant in Orissa's tribal and rural culture for centuries and colored in the subtle hues predominate in nature, Bomkai fabrics are a must buy on your tour to Orissa with Tourism of Orissa tour packages.
The double-sided Ikat designs, woven in colored, silver and gold threads, common in Sambalpur textiles and handlooms, and the gold embroidered fabrics from Sonepur are other popular buys on your tour to Orissa.
Orissa silk handlooms and textiles are handspun fabrics with a metallic luster that is alluring for even a discerning shopper. Heavy embroidery on borders and elaborate designed drapes available with Ikat's geometric patterns and Bomkai's subtle colors are charms that are hard to resist while shopping on your tour to Orissa.
Tusser silk is another member of Orissa's famed textile heritage. Made from non-mulberry silk, it makes you want to reach out for your wallet and empty all its contents.
Though the textile heritage of Orissa is best seen in its sarees, these fabrics can be easily adapted to make suits, carry bags, cushion covers etc. Imagination is the only limiting factor when it comes to shopping for Orissa textiles and handlooms.
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