The sarees of Solapur
A textile city in south Maharashtra known for cotton cloth, bed sheets and chaddars, and for old powerloom and handloom weaving.
Motifs of Solapur
Woven here
Best time: October to February.
Solapur is a city in south Maharashtra with a long textile history. It is famous for cotton chaddars, which are woven bed covers, and for its mills. Cotton saris and dress cloth are also woven here and in the villages around.
What is woven here
Solapur's best known product is the cotton chaddar, a colourful woven cloth used as bed covers and wraps. The city also weaves cotton saris, towels and dress material. Much of the output is on powerlooms, though some handloom work continues. Cotton is grown in the region, so yarn has been easy to get.
The craft and its people
Weaving is done in small units and mills across the city, and a large community works in the trade. The industry has had difficult years as mills closed, and many small units have replaced them. Weavers' groups sell directly in local markets.
Seeing it
Solapur is a working city rather than a tourist stop, and the trade is best seen with a local contact. The city is on the road to Pandharpur, a major pilgrimage town, and to the temple town of Tuljapur, and many people travel through it on the way.
A trail idea for Solapur
- Textile market See chaddars and cotton cloth sold in bulk by local weavers and traders.
- A powerloom unit Ask a local contact to arrange a look at weaving on a small unit.
- Pandharpur A pilgrimage town on the Bhima river, a short drive away, if time permits.
Written by the EveryPallu desk with AI assistance. Background: "Solapur" on Wikipedia. Opening hours, markets and workshops change; check locally before travelling. If something is wrong, tell us.
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