"Chelaji Re, Mare Hatu Patan thi Patola Mongha Lavjo" - My Dear, do bring the precious patan patola for me.
This popular folk song from Gujarat echoes the desire of all women wanting a patola in their trousseau. Once an exclusive inheritance of royalty and aristocracy, and also known as "The cloth of Kings", patola sarees are continuation of an art revered not just for its religious significance across many faiths, but amazing level of skill and perseverance required to make it.
From being mentioned in Kalpsutra, a 2000-year-old Jain holy book, to carvings in the Ajanta caves, and numerous folk tales in different languages – from Gujarati to Telugu, the Patola sarees have made their way on ramps in various fashion shows in recent years. From being worn by women during ceremonies and holy occasions, the Patolas have today become a symbol of opulence as much as posterity and good luck.
The Patan Patolas with their weft and wrap techniques are considered as the ‘ultimate manifestation of weaving perfection’ because the displacement of even one thread can result in a deformed pattern. The dyeing and the weaving process is extremely complicated, requiring mathematical precision coupled with a vivid imagination, lots of patience, undivided attention and dexterity of hand. The result of such a monumental effort is a saree, dupatta or fabric that is so unique and when held in hand, the back and front cannot be differentiated because of the intensity of colour, the feel of the fabric and the look of the design.
While today the Patola sarees are synonymous with Patan, even earning it the geographical indication (GI) tag, the craftsmen were originally from Maharashtra. Some say the Patola weavers were part of the spoils of a war which King Kumarapal of the Solanki dynasty won over the ruler of Jalan in Southern Maharashtra in 11th century, while others debate that they were invited by King Kumarapal who was known to have a deep interest in Patola. His interest in Patola was due to that fact that he used to offer his daily prayers wearing a new Patola everyday, which was made available to him by the king of Jalan. Somehow he came to know that the Patolas being sent to him by King of Jalan was used as bedsheets in his private chamber. The fact, however, is that whatever the case may be, 700-odd weaver families did migrate and began to call Patan their home.
The exclusive patan patolas which were and still are a sign of luxury are hard to be owned by every woman because of thier exorbitant prices and also the considerable difference in demand and supply ratio. Both the higher price and lesser supply can be attributed to the weaving process which takes extreme labour of five months to a year to create a single saree. The cotton patolas in single IKAT have been created to compensate the desire of owning a Patan Patola which is both expensive and rare to find.
