Bomkai sari

What is Bomkai sari?

Bomkai is a handloom saree from Odisha. Two kinds are made: a cotton saree that people wear as a matter of habit, and a silk one kept for ceremonies and sacred days. Weavers of the Bhulia community in Subarnapur district are the main makers today, though the cloth takes its name from Bomkai village in Ganjam district. The look is plain rather than showy, with what the sources call a tribal tinge, and the interest sits in the threadwork of the border and the pallu. A fish is the motif most often seen, and the colours are largely red, black and white.

Where does Bomkai sari come from?

The saree began in Bomkai, a village in Ganjam district of Odisha. It reached Sonepur during the rule of Ramai Dev, described in the sources as the then ruler of Patna, and from there weaving settled among the Bhulia community of Subarnapur district. In 2009 the saree received a Geographical Indication, which means that in official terms a genuine Bomkai has to be made in Bomkai in Ganjam or in Sonepur. The sources present this as recognition rather than as a legend, and they give no earlier founding story.

How is Bomkai sari made?

Weaving happens on fly shuttle pit looms and on frame looms. Three shuttles are used so that the border comes out as a solid band, a style locally called the Muhojorha saree. The border pattern is made with extra warp threads, while the body and pallu get their pattern from extra weft threads, worked with a dobby, a jacquard or a jala. Earlier the yarn was cotton of 10s to 40s counts; today weavers use much finer cotton, in 2/80, 2/100 and 2/120 counts, along with mulberry silk, tussar silk and zari.

Colours, motifs and borders

Ground colours named in the sources are red, black and white, arrived at by dyeing. The border carries an old set of beliefs in its pattern, and the fish is the design most often seen because it stands for success and plenty. Other patterns include the lotus, the temple or mandir, square patterns and the tortoise. The warps are woven so the end piece comes out multicoloured. Today the saree also appears in many designs and many colours, though the sources say the original character is kept.

When Bomkai sari is worn

The cotton Bomkai is treated as ordinary wear, the saree a person reaches for again and again. The silk one belongs to ceremonies and sacred occasions. Weddings are among these: the sources note that Aishwarya Rai wore a Bomkai known as Radhakunja, designed by Chaturbhuj Meher of Sonepur, for her marriage to Abhishek Bachchan. Bomkai sarees are also shown at fashion shows, where the modern versions are displayed.

Styles of Bomkai sari

The clearest split is by fibre, cotton for habitual wear and silk for rites and celebrations. A solid-border weave goes by the local name Muhojorha saree, and one named type, Radhakunja, was worn at a celebrity wedding. The sources note that the saree now comes in several designs and many colours alongside the older red, black and white grounds, and that the classic patterns have been kept through these changes.

What Bomkai sari means

The 2009 Geographical Indication is the saree's formal standing: the name is meant to be used only for cloth woven at Bomkai in Ganjam or at Sonepur. Before that and since, the saree has travelled outside the loom room, displayed at fashion shows and worn at a much photographed wedding, which the sources treat as part of its popularity. The Bhulia weavers of Subarnapur district remain the main producers, so the protection of the name is also a question of their livelihood.

Questions people ask about Bomkai sari

Good reading and sources

• Bomkai sari on WikipediaEncyclopedia
• More photos on Wikimedia CommonsPhotos and video
• Wikidata recordOpen data