Tussar jala saris start at Rs. 8,200.

Tussar jala 

 

The highly skilled tussar weaving communities in Jajpur district, Orissa, with their famous extra weft motifs of fish and rudraksh in jala techniques, earned the patronage of royalty in the past. But tussar yarn became expensive due to deforestation and lack of supplies. “In the process, more and more weavers who are skilled in jala technique (traditional extra weft technique) are merely weaving plain tussar yardages since it finds an easy market,” explains Jain. In order to revive interest in the tussar-jala weave, she has been researching ways to develop new weave constructions to make lighter and softer saris. “Among the collections that have been well-received lately are the kumbha sari—white organic khadi cotton blended with tussar—and bhor saris, where the weave reflects the subtle gradation of the early morning golden sky with motifs like thikri (hills) and jhoti (alpana on mud walls),” says Jain.

 

Tussar jala saris start at Rs. 8,200. Contact Jain at vriksh.orissa@gmail.com.