Kusumita is a Kotpad handloom saree woven in handspun off-white cotton — an original Kotpad saree online from Pasapali, carrying red and blue tribal motifs shaped through generations of Mirgan craft. The body holds geometric forms and fish motifs; the pallu brings together lotus, matka, tortoise, temple, and tribal symbols in a language that belongs entirely to Kotpad.
The Craft Behind Kusumita
Kusumita is dyed using the aal bark method — a defining practice of the authentic Kotpad handloom tradition. The bark of the aal tree is boiled until it yields a deep tannin-rich liquor. Handspun cotton fibres are soaked in this liquor in repeated cycles, allowing colour to bond at a molecular level without any chemical fixatives. The result is the earthy off-white, red, and deep tonal range you see here. This is a GI certified Kotpad textile, woven by Mirgan tribal weavers of Odisha whose vegetable dye tradition has been practised without interruption across generations. No synthetic dye enters the process at any stage.
Wearing Kusumita
Handspun cotton gives Kusumita a weight that settles without stiffness — it drapes with a slight body and breathes through the day. The weave has a visible texture underfoot that speaks to its hand-made origin. As a Kotpad saree for ethnic wear, it holds its structure through long occasions. As a Kotpad saree for festivals, the tribal motifs — fish, tortoise, lotus — carry meaning beyond decoration. As a natural dyed saree for gifting, Adrika arrives as something traceable: a specific community, a specific bark, a specific loom. The phoda kumbha border, built using an interlocking technique, frames the drape with a repeat that is quietly insistent.
Pasapali brings this vegetable dyed saree from Odisha directly from the Mirgan weaving community, ensuring the craft record behind every Kotpad handloom saree remains intact.
| Product Name | Kusumita |
|---|---|
| Saree Type | Kotpad Natural Dye Saree |
| Tradition | Kotpad Handloom (GI Certified) |
| Weave | Kotpad Handloom |
| Technique | Organic Vegetable Dye Weaving (Aal Bark Dyeing), Phoda Kumbha Interlocking Border Weave |
| Material | Handspun Cotton |
| Saree Length | 5.40 metres |
| Saree Breadth | 43 inches |
| Blouse | Yes (included) |
| Primary Colour | Off-White |
| Secondary Colour | Red and Blue |
| Body Design | Tribal geometric motifs and fish |
| Border | Phoda Kumbha using interlocking technique |
| Pallu | Kotpad tribal motifs — lotus, matka, fish, tortoise, temple, tribal motif |
| Key Motifs | Lotus, Matka, Fish, Tortoise, Temple, Tribal Geometric |
| Woven By | Mirgan Tribal Weavers, Odisha |
| Weave Time | 25–30 days |
| GI Tag | Kotpad Textile |
| Certification | Government of India Handloom Mark |
| Ideal For | Ethnic wear, festivals, gifting |
Explore More Handloom Sarees
Kusumita is part of Pasapali's collection of Kotpad Handloom sarees from Odisha. Read the story behind the brand and the weavers who make them.