Kanan is a Kotpad handloom saree woven in Tussar Cotton Silk, available to buy online as an original Kotpad saree in a deep maroon ground with off-white borders. The body carries tribal macha (fish) and pharsa (axe) motifs, rendered with the grounded clarity that only natural dye and hand-tension weaving can produce.

The Craft Behind Kanan

The colour in Kanan comes from aal bark — the root bark of Morinda citrifolia, harvested and boiled until the pigment is released into water. Cotton fibres are submerged in this solution in repeated cycles, with each immersion deepening the tone. No synthetic mordant or chemical fixative is used; iron-rich water and controlled temperature fix the colour into the fibre permanently. This is the vegetable dye tradition of the Mirgan tribal weavers of Odisha, practised across generations in the Kotpad region of Koraput district. The resulting maroon is not uniform — it carries the natural variation of the bark itself. Kanan is an authentic Kotpad handloom and a GI certified Kotpad textile, woven on a pit loom using the extra-weft technique for its raised motifs and the multi-shuttle interlocking method for its kumbha border.

Wearing Kanan

Tussar Cotton Silk sits between the breathability of cotton and the mild sheen of tussar — it drapes with a slight structure that holds pleats cleanly without feeling stiff. The weight is moderate, which means the saree moves with the wearer rather than against her. The kumbha border adds a defined edge without adding bulk. Kanan works as a Kotpad saree for ethnic wear where the earthy maroon and off-white read as considered rather than loud. It is equally suited as a Kotpad saree for festivals, where the tribal motifs carry their own visual weight without needing embellishment. For those considering a natural dyed saree for gifting, Kanan comes with a Government of India Handloom Mark and documentation of its GI certified origin — details that matter to the person receiving it as much as to the person giving it.

Kanan is part of Pasapali's Kotpad collection, sourced directly from Mirgan weavers to support the continuity of natural dyed saree weaving in Odisha.

Explore More Handloom Sarees

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