Arunima is a Kotpad handloom saree available to buy online, woven in yellow Tussar Cotton Silk with black and maroon accents, carrying tribal macha (fish) and pharsa (axe) motifs across its body and pallu, each element placed with the deliberate hand of the Mirgan weaver.

The Craft Behind Arunima

Arunima is coloured entirely through aal bark dyeing, a practice central to the vegetable dye tradition of Kotpad. The bark of the aal tree is boiled in water until the pigment is released; fibres are then soaked in this bath and the colour is fixed naturally through alum mordanting, without synthetic chemicals at any stage. The earthy yellow that defines Arunima comes directly from this process. The Mirgan tribal weavers of Odisha, who hold the GI certified Kotpad textile tradition, have practised this method across generations. The handspun cotton-silk blend used in Arunima absorbs natural dye with an evenness that synthetic fibres cannot replicate, giving the finished saree a depth of tone that develops further with wear. This is authentic Kotpad handloom craft in its documented form.

Wearing Arunima

Tussar Cotton Silk carries a texture that is neither stiff nor soft in the conventional sense — it holds its fold, falls with quiet weight, and allows the border and pallu motifs to sit flat against the drape without distortion. The kumbha border, raised through extra-weft technique and multi-shuttle interlocking, creates a structured frame around the body without adding bulk. Arunima works as a Kotpad saree for ethnic wear in day settings where the earthy palette reads as grounded and considered. As a Kotpad saree for festivals, the tribal pharsa and macha motifs carry cultural resonance that goes beyond decoration. As a natural dyed saree for gifting, it arrives with a provenance that can be spoken to — the dye source, the weaving community, the region. The macha motifs across the body connect the wearer to a living craft vocabulary.

Pasapali sources Arunima directly from Mirgan weavers, placing this natural dyed saree from Odisha within reach for those who seek the original Kotpad saree online.

Explore More Handloom Sarees

Arunima is part of Pasapali's collection of Kotpad Handloom sarees from Odisha. Read the story behind the brand and the weavers who make them.