One word which can define the beauty of this fabric, then that is exquisite. This fabric has such grace and elegance that you could fall in love with it with just one look. And it is because this fabric is a unique blend of two most widely worn fabrics- Cotton and Silk.

Kota doria is woven on a traditional pit loom in such a fashion that is produce square checks pattern on the fabric the delicately wrought checks are locally known as that they smear onion juice and rice pate with a lot of core into the yarn making the yarn so strong that no additional finishing is needed.

Origin of Kota Doria

Kota Doria fabric, itself gives us the illustration of its origin. It takes its name from a small town of Rajasthan, Kota, where artisans have been practicing this craft for generations. Also, Doria itself means thread. But according to some historians, Kota is not the first place where weaving of Kota Doria started. It was Mysore, in Karnataka region, where the art of Kota Doria was first invented. There, artisans who practiced this were referred to as “Masurias’. And it was during Mughal era, when these Masurias were brought to the town of Kota by Rao Kishore Singh, a general in the army of Mughal king Shahjahan because making of this fabric was extremely tedious and complex and only the most skilled artisans of that time could make this fabric. It was later on given a name ’Kota-masurias’ which was then replaced by Kota Doria This fabric came out to be so divine that it was even considered auspicious at that time. The Rajasthan royalties were so in love with this fabric that they used it for all religious occasions and also made it a symbol of Royalty.

The Kinds of Kota Doria

Kota Doria is one versatile fabric that is perfect for both casual and formal wear. The colorful sarees designed beautifully can be worn for all kinds of occasion. There are also three different styling of Kota Doria-Basic, block printing and with zari border.

•  Basic Kota Doria is the simple Kota Doria fabric made only out of Cotton or plain golden threads. This kind of Kota Doria was the only Kota Doria practiced traditionally.
• Block Printing was later on used on Kota Doria to make it more attractive and give it a completely new look.  This kind of Kota Doria is often referred as hand-blocked Kota Doria.
• Kota Doria’s with a zari border definitely adds elegance to an outfit and make it look more sumptuous.

 

 

Products

Sari is the most regular fabric made from Kota Doria, but now dress material, kurtas,  handbags, pouches and sashes embellished with gotta patti, mukesh and mirror work can also be found. The fabric can be decorative with borders and small floral patterns called buti. Other ornamentation techniques include batik, tie-and-dye, hand-block printing, and applique work. Other areas of application are home furnishing like window curtains and lampshades.

 

The conventional Kota Doria originated in white colour and got dyed in different colours as per buyer needs. Any kind of Kota Doria is extremely easy to maintain since it is mostly made up of Cotton.

Global Appeal

Kota doria, with its distinctiveness in style, has grown to become one of the popular Indian fabrics. Even though globally Indian silks and fabrics like Khadi take a dominant position, Kota fabric is right next to them in line when it comes to its popularity in fashion.

Kota Doria is definitely a proof that handcrafted fabrics of our country are still impeccable with any machine made fabrics. The government has also been taking many steps to preserve the handloom industry because there are still millions of artisans whose daily wages rely on this handcraft only. And no doubt their skill and perfection cannot be matched which can be seen in the ethereal beauty of their fabrics.

Even the fashion designers today are playing with the traditional fabrics to create a perfect contemporary look. So why not be your own designer this season and create your own Kota Doria outfits with some of our style inspirations.