Odisha has a rich tradition of textile and weaving art. The state is known for both silk and cotton, but it is best known for its unique dyeing and weaving technique famous as ikat or ikkat. The state has many traditional weaving centres, each with its own variety of Ikkat. One such centre is a little known village named Manibandha near Cuttack and it’s sarees are known as Manibandha. These are primarily cotton sarees woven in a special Ikkat technique developed by the village. Speciality of the saree is its softness and balanced use of colour and design. But, despite its unique style, it is not so popular among traditional saree lovers. In my opinion, it lacks the elegance that well known traditional sarees exude.
This particular saree is the only Manibandha in my collection. I got this as the first prize in a competition organised by one of the popular saree loving groups in a social media platform. This makes the saree a special one, although it is nothing more than ordinary as a traditional weave.