The Bomkai sarees, which is also known as Sonepuri saree is one of a kind handloom saree that originated in the village of Bomkai in Ganjam district in the state of Odisha. It was originally manufactured by the Bhulia community of Subarnapur district. Bomkai is one of the ancient and renowned Geographical Indications of India. The ruler of Patna, Ramai Dev was the first ruler to introduce the Sonepuri saree.
Among all the different kinds of saree available in the market, Bomkai is very unique, as the motifs and designs showcased on the saree reflect mythology and the crude secrets of the past. Bomkai is the speciality of the textile industry of Southern India and it is inspired by the folk culture and heritage of Odisha. Bomkai also draws inspiration from Mother Nature that is quite readily present.
What is the History and Origin of a Bomkai Saree?
The origin of the Bomkai sarees can be traced back to Odisha around 600 BC. The Bomakai sarees are locally known as ‘Bandha’. Bomkai is a combination of Ikat and embroidery weaved together into each other. It is generally worn as a traditional attire by the Brahmins of South India during weddings, rituals, or other religious ceremonies.
There is a great depth of historical significance about the Bomkai sarees as they reflect the stylish and designer sides of Odisha and the skill and craft of the expert artists of these sarees. The Bomkai saree is a type of saree that was first crafted in the southern coastal parts of Odisha. As at that point in time, the fabric carried a presence of the ensembles that originated on the shores. Among all of the coastal areas of Southern Orissa, which are involved in the weaving of Bomkai sarees, it is Sonepur that produces the most beautiful, unique and comfortable Bomkai sarees.
What is a Bomkai Saree?
Bomkai saree is a style of saree that is a combination of two popular styles of making sarees in Odisha, is the Ikat style of weaving mixed with embroidery. Bomkai sarees are available in both cotton and silk variants. The Bomkai cotton sarees are a combination of traditional symbols combined with a modern design and is basically used as habitual wear, whereas the silk saree is worn on ceremonies and religious occasions. Most of the sarees are filled with mesmerizing colours to appeal to the woman wearing the saree. Generally, a fish motif can be seen in the saree as it is believed that fish is a sign of success and affluence. The most scintillating part of the saree is its threadwork in the designs of the border and the pallu. The look of the saree is connected to simplicity and has a reflection of its tribal culture in it. The saree is generally dyed to attain the red, black and white background colours. Although today, the saree can be found readily available in various designs and multiple colours while retaining its originality. The warps are aptly woven to produce multi-coloured end pieces.
Designs executed in the most offbeat concepts come together and bring forth the inspiration of many new motifs and patterns, mostly influenced by things offered by nature such as karela (bitter gourd), the Atasi flower, the Kanthi Phul (small flower), Macchi (fly), Rui Macchi (carp-fish), Koincha (tortoise), Padma (lotus), Mayura (peacock), and Charai (bird). Some of the saree contains border motifs that are inspired by tribal art. A few such examples include Mitkta Panjia, Kumbha, Rudraksha and Floral.
The many colours on the saree are inspired by the effect of disparity. So, there may be a combination of yellow with a nice bright green, and along with an orange saree, we may see a mesmerizing black border. Sometimes, the pallu of the saree might be double shaded, which gives out a reflection of royal glitter. There is some latticework in the saree that can create small diamond-like shapes, which can be commonly seen on the border of a Bomkai saree.
The four primary colours that are used to embellish the saree are colours symbolising Lord Jagannath Temple, Jagannath Puri – Odisha. The ‘Bomkai’ sarees also contain ‘double coloured’ borders and a dense coloured middle part.
A notable feature of the saree is the uneven temple design with which the sari borders are adorned. Along with this pattern, there are some common images that can be found such as ‘earthen pots’, ‘flower designs’, ‘diamond shapes’, ‘beads’ that are also added to the border of the saree.
The weaving technique that is used to form the ‘Bomkai’ designs is done entirely by hand and ‘silver’ or ‘gold’ cords are used. The common tribal designs such as ‘flowers’, ‘geometric designs’, ‘fish’, ‘lotus’, ‘tortoise’, and the ‘hourglass-shaped drum’ are used in the making of the pallu of the saree.
Generally, ‘Bomkai’ can be categorized into 5 different kinds; ‘Sambalpuri’, ‘Sonepuri’, ‘Pasapali’, ‘Barapali’, and ‘Bapta’.
What is the process of weaving a Bomkai Saree?
The primary steps in the weaving of the Bomkai sarees are dyeing, dressing the loom, and then weaving. The materials and equipment that are used in the process include pit loom, dye vats, thread, cotton/silk or dyes. The skilled and expert weavers of Odisha still use the Jaala technique in order to create certain unique pieces of Bomkai while making sure to retain the original flavour of the craft.
In Odisha, BANDHA’ is the common term used to describe the method of ‘Ikat’. The hand-weaving (‘warp & weft’) method is used for the creation of ‘Bomkai’ sarees.
The weaving process for the Bomkai sarees starts only after the threads are dyed and coloured, as far as the ‘Ikat’ system is concerned. The threads that are perpendicularly inserted into the ‘Handloom’ are the ‘Tana (Warp)’ and which are inserted parallel is the ‘Bana (Weft).’
As the process of weaving progresses, the ‘Bana’ passes through the ‘Tana’, which means that the firmly elongated threads form the ‘warp’ and the cords that are inserted through the ‘warp’ to create the required designs are called the ‘weft’. The ‘weft’ cords are mostly dyed using the common ‘resist-dyed’ method. These cords are then made into a circle and then rolled into a special device called the ‘shuttle’ that moves across the ‘warp’. Although in the ‘double ikat’ system, the system is a bit different and the work is more intricate. Here, ‘weft and warp’ both are dyed using the ‘resist-dyeing method and identical patterns are designed on either side of the base cloth.
The technique used for the creation of the beautiful Ikat design is called the’ Jalaa’, which is a very apt alternate method for the ‘Jacquard machine’.
The price of a Bomkai saree ranges from INR 2000 to INR 12000 depending on the quality of fabric, motifs and patterns and required customized designs. The cotton variant of the Bomkai sarees is generally on the economical side while the silk Bomkai saree cost much more than the cotton ones.
Owing to the simplicity, elegance, royal and regal look of the Bomkai sarees that are very comfortable to wear and durable, they are found throughout the nation in all the major saree centres in cities such as Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Chennai, Delhi, Hyderabad, Bhubaneshwar, Kolkata, Mumbai, Kochi etc.
They can also be bought online from the comfort of one’s home, as the Bomkai sarees are available in a wide variety of colours and designs on all major e-commerce websites such as Amazon, Flipkart, Myntra, Meesho, Mirraw, Peacmode and many more.