Fabrics from the Desert Land 'The Kota Doria'

Rajasthan is not only a land of rippling sand dunes, and majestic forts, but is also infamous for its vibrant and colorful handicrafts. On the banks of river Chambal in the south east of Rajasthan is a district called 'Kota', which is renowned for its exclusive 'Kota Doria' saris. Woven with silk yarn and cotton in a combination of warp and weft, it gives an exclusive check pattern to the fabric, which makes it a unique and elite handloom product.

A wide range of fashionable garments like saris, suits, stoles, scarves, and furnishings are made with this fabric. Indian and international fashion designers are depicting a range of Kota Doria products in their collections. This also proves that fashion can also be used as a means of socio economic transformation for the poorer sections of the society. Kota Doria woven with the 'magical fingers' by the craftsman of Rajasthan is now one of the favorite choices of fashionist, with its demand growing in the domestic and the international market.

The 'Kota Doria'

'Doria' means thread. It is woven from silk yarn and cotton in a different combination of warp and weft with an exclusive check pattern in the weave itself, which is known as 'khat'. The khats are present in the basic fabric itself, and are woven in a very skillful way that the fabric looks transparent. This is a hallmark and a unique feature of the doria fabric, which has made it an exclusive handloom product. The doria fabric can be made in a series of steps. First is the 'Pre Loom' process, where a traditional process is followed to spin the yarn. Under this process of weaving, peg warping and brush sizing is done. Rice paste and onion juice is applied to the yarn so as to make it strong. Then is the application of dyes. Dyes are mixed in proper proportion by traditional dyers to give a contemporary look to the fabrics. Mostly vegetable or vat dyes are used making the process eco friendly. The final step is 'Design and Weaving', where weaving is generally done through pit looms using the shuttle technique. The designs are made in the cloth using Jacquards, or dobbys. Dobby is used for ground motifs and pallus, while jacquards are used for making exquisite borders on the saris. This handicraft provides living for more than 2,500 weaver families working on pit hand looms.



Kota Doria at the spotlight of Fashion:



A wide range of fashionable garments like saris, suits, stoles, scarves, and furnishings are made with this fabric. The delicate and porous nature of the fabric makes it more convenient for surface ornamentation techniques like batik, tie-and-dye, embroidery, and appliqué work. Today, both Indian and international fashion designers are depicting a range of Kota Doria products in their collections. These fabrics have paved their way into the ramp shows as well. Bibi Russel, a model and fashion designer, whose name is well known in the European fashion world, has built an international reputation for these fabrics. She has displayed her collections designed with the Kota Doria fabric, which has earned a global fame for the fabric. This also proves that fashion can also be used as a means of socio economic transformation for the poorer sections of the society.



The magical land of Rajasthan is bestowed with several captivating features since time immemorial. Kota Doria woven with the 'magical fingers' by the craftsman of Rajasthan is now one of the favorite choices of fashionist, with its demand growing in the domestic and the international market.



References:



1. http://www.craftandartisans.com
2. http://kota.nic.in/ind.htm
3. http://kotadoria.com/