Nishavana is a Kotpad handloom saree you can buy online from Pasapali — woven in Tussar Cotton Silk and coloured in deep golden through generations-old vegetable dye practice. Tribal geometric butas mark the solid golden body, while the brown phoda kumbha border and matka-motif pallu carry the visual grammar of Odishan forest craft.

The Craft Behind Nishavana

Nishavana is coloured using aal bark — the root bark of the Morinda citrifolia tree — which has been central to the authentic Kotpad handloom tradition for centuries. The bark is first boiled into a concentrated decoction. Handspun Tussar Cotton Silk fibres are then soaked in this liquid and left to absorb the earthy reddish-brown pigment over several immersions, each deepening the tone. No synthetic fixatives or chemicals are introduced; the colour bonds to the fibre through natural tannins and a process of gradual drying in open air. This is the organic vegetable dye weaving practice carried by the Mirgan tribal weavers of Kotpad, Odisha — a GI certified Kotpad textile tradition recognised by the Government of India. Every strand in Nishavana holds that unmediated relationship between forest material and loom.

Wearing Nishavana

Tussar Cotton Silk gives Nishavana a hand that is neither stiff nor overly fluid — it holds a pleat with quiet authority and moves without resistance across the body. The fabric carries a faint natural texture from the handspun yarns, which gives each drape a grounded, lived-in quality rather than a surface sheen. As a Kotpad saree for ethnic wear, Nishavana reads with restraint — the golden body holds attention without competing for it. As a Kotpad saree for festivals, the phoda kumbha interlocked border and the matka-motif pallu add ceremonial weight to the garment. As a natural dyed saree for gifting, its craft provenance and GI certification make it a considered, traceable choice. The geometric butas across the body align with the drape, landing at points that suit the wearer's silhouette naturally.

Nishavana is available through Pasapali, where each original Kotpad saree online is sourced directly from Mirgan tribal weavers in Odisha.

Explore More Handloom Sarees

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