Our History

The first historical account of the appearance of Lord Jagannath is given in the Skanda Purana and the Padma Purana. In the past, the place of the present Jagannatha temple was called Purusottama Kshetra (Puri). The sanctity of the place of Purusottama (Jagannatha) exists from the prehistoric period, where tradition cannot reach. In the Mahabharata, Vanaparva, there is a reference to the site of Purusottamakshetra, mentioned as the place of Yajnavedi near the sea in Kalinga. Jagannatha is found mentioned in the chapter titled ‘UttaraKhanda‘ of the epic Ramayana, where Lord Rama asks Vibhisana to worship Jagannatha, the family deity of the Ikshyavaku dynasty. The glory and sanctity of Lord Purusottama and its kshetra also find mention in many works.

Most probably, the earliest literary evidence for the existence of the Rath Yatra/festival at Puri occurs in the period of Somavamsa rule (8th to 11th century) over Orissa. This was the first dynasty connected by legendary accounts of the temple. The oldest iconographical evidence of the festival and its temple ratha comes from the later Ganga period (13th/14th centuries). A frieze of a dilapidated temple at Dhanmandal in Northern Orissa depicts a sequence of three rathas, each drawn by a large number of devotees. The best-preserved relief contains several interesting iconographical details.

There is written evidence to show that the applique craft was present in the Jagannath temple as far back as AD 1054, as sevaks were appointed by the king at that time. The duty of members of the Darji caste in Pipli, Puri, to supply the requirements of stitched articles for Lord Jagannath and for festivals was later laid down in the Record of Rights for Shri Jagannath Temple, Puri, under the Orissa Act of 1952. The craft, locally called Chandua, is related to the rituals and traditions of Lord Jagannath and his siblings, Lord Balabhadra and Devi Subhadra.

The appliqué craft reached its peak in the 11th century AD, under the patronage of the king and nobility, locally known as Chandua. The craft is traditionally practiced by a community of professional tailors, known as ‘Darjis,’ whose surnames are mostly Mahapatra and Maharana. ‘Darji’ is an Urdu word for a professional tailor and indicates a group of people who previously earned their living by tailoring. Pipili was later seized by Muslim rulers, and some Muslims settled there. In the course of time, the essentially Islamic word ‘Darji’ seems to have been applied to the Hindu Suchika caste. Their beautiful work is considered service for the Lord, or “seva.” The community, led by a chief, is well-organized, with annual meetings to resolve any social or other problems.

Appliqué comes from the French word “appliquer,” which means to “put on.” In appliqué, one piece of fabric is placed over a base layer and sewn in place. Another technique is reverse appliqué, in which one layer of fabric is placed on another layer, and a shape is cut out from the top layer, exposing the lower layer. These two are then neatly stitched together.

The Pipili Applique Works Industrial Co-operative Society Ltd., a registered organization of the Directorate of Handicraft and Cottage Industries, came into existence in 1957. The Orissa State Co-operative Handicraft Corporation Ltd., established in 1959 to market the products of the artisans in the state, has two main objectives. The first is the procurement of the products of the artisans, and the second is to expose them to market channels in different areas through its sales emporia known as Utkalika.

Pipli in Puri district is considered the hub of craft where hundreds of craft persons practice the same and maintain their livelihood. The craft has flourished in many villages like Kanasa, Kadua, Kanas, Puri Town,
Satyabadi, Rajas, BanamalipurDelanga, Gop, Nimapara of Puri and Khurda district and gradually spread over to other districts of Orissa. At present, appliqué is considered one of the major prospective crafts with a lot of diversifications.

A craft that originated as a temple art now finds its application in a wide range of household, decorative, and ceremonial products. This handicraft is unparalleled in its flexibility and versatility, permitting experimentation and encouraging innovation. Artisans, with their skillful blending of myths, symbolism, and imagination, provide the craft with an appealing dynamism.

The appliqué work in its colourful best is most prominent in the cloth covers of the three chariots of the presiding deities in which they travel every year during the Ratha Yatra or Chariot Festival. As per tradition, the colour scheme of the three covers is predetermined, green and red for the chariot of Balabhadra, black and red for that of Subhadra and yellow and red for Lord Jagannath’s chariot.

The main items are listed below:

1. Chandua (canopy) – Originally al1 the deities were stored with a piece of cloth over their heads for protection. This piece of decorated cloth is called a chandua and is a sign of respect to the deity. Huge chandua also feature in large gatherings such as weddings and meetings.
2. Chhati (ritual umbrella) – As the name indicates, this item is used for ritual journeys and royal outings. These umbrellas are not allowed inside the Jagannath temple precincts. In earlier times a procession, whether religious or royal, was unthinkable without this article, but today its use has become limited to the former context. The chhati has also evolved new, more commercial and secular uses, such as garden umbrellas and decorative ladies’ umbrellas.
3. Trasa (banner) – In the past this was used frequently for religious purposes and in royal processions, but at present it is restricted to the former, being seen in royal processions only rarely. Specific categories of people carried this item, and without its presence a procession was not considered complete.
4. Alata (hand-fan for religious use) – When the deities are in procession, alatas give them protection from the heat. Originally these may have been of plain cloth, but gradually decorated alatas were made for this purpose.
5. Adheni (banner) – From traditional to modem times this article has been very much in use in both religious and, more rarely, royal processions.
6. Dola Mandani (covering for celestial vehicle) – Originally meant for ritual use, this covered the top of the divine wooden chariot or bimano (vehicle). In its present form it has been modified as a door decoration or jhalar (literally ‘frill’) and is used as such in domestic households.

The motifs used consist of stylized representations of flora and fauna as well as a few mythical figures. Of the more common of these motifs are

Tree: Belagaccha,
Leaves: (patra)
Flowers: (Malli – Mogra, Padma, Tarup, Guntha Surya Mukhi)
Birds: Sua – Parrot, Bataka – Duck, Hansa – Swan, Mayur – Peacock
Animals: Hat – Elephant, Singho – Lion, etc.

The basic design is a combination of narrow and wide stripes while on the four sides above the openings, there are appliquéd mythical motifs like Rahu, Chandra as well as motifs from nature. It is these eye-catching appliqué covers which help identify the chariots of the three deities from far away when thousands of pilgrims throng the main road of Puri on which the gods make their annual sojourn in the chariot festival.

Phulapatti (flower motif)
Sadha patti (plain red strip)
Nahara patti (cone pattern)
Kalasopatti (pitcher strip)
Beliripatti (strip from left to right)
Moodapatti (strip from right to left)
Gula patti (wavy strip)
Hiranapatti (mogra flower strip)

There are many more strip designs available in Puri. To maintain consistency, these strips also follow spacing, color, and guideline standards.

Flat motifs are first cut from cloth and then superposed on the base cloth in a predetermined layout and sequence. The edges of the motifs are turned in and skillfully stitched onto the base cloth or stitched by embroidery or without turning as necessary. Craftsmen use straight stitch, blind stitch, satin stitch or buttonhole stitch for attaching the pieces of cloth. Sometimes they also make use of decorative stitches and mirror work for more elaborate pieces.

A characteristic style of the Orissa appliqué involves three dimensional patterns made by folding of the upper piece of cloth into triangles and attaching them to the base. The stitching process varies from item to item and come under six broad categories, namely, (1) bakhia, (2) taropa, (3) ganthi, (4) chikana, (5) buttonhole and (6) ruching. Sometimes embroidered patterns are also used and in a few items mirror work is also incorporated.

While there has been very little change in the use of motifs, there is a trend towards greater experimentation in colour for non-ceremonial items such as bags, cushion covers, bed sheets etc. Appliqué items are also being used in combination with other crafts to produce composite products. An interesting new use is the superimposition of appliqué on grass mats and used as partitions.

From grand sanctified ceremonial items in prescribed colours and designs, to small souvenirs and utility products for an urban dweller, the craftsmen of Pipli have mastered the art of creating the most attractive objects from simple pieces of cloth.