Ilkal

Vibrant colors are seen in the traditional attire of Ilkal, which is a small town located in the south-east part of the Bagalkot district, in the state of Karnataka, India. Ilkal was an ancient weaving center renowned for its handloom saris. The availability of local raw materials has helped in the growth of this craft. Today, Ilkal saris are worn by the elite as a fashion statement.

The main body of the sari has stripes, rectangles, squares or could even be plain. The pallu has temple tower designs and is usually made of red silk with white patterns. The main highlight of this sari is the border, which is very broad at 4 to 6 inches and is usually in contrasting colors. The sari is often embellished, which makes it exclusive.

There are three different types of borders – Gomi, Paraspet, and Gaadi. Traditionally the colors used are pomegranate red, brilliant peacock green and parrot green. Motifs are inspired from temple architecture, gopura (temple tower), ratha (chariot), temple tank, lotus, animals, conch-shell and the border often represents a field of crops. Ilkal saris are available in 6, 8 and 9 yards. To weave one masterpiece using the hand loom it takes about three to seven days, based on the design and pattern.