Kotpad Natural-Dye Handloom
Deep maroon and black from the aal root, woven for tribal Odisha in undyed and dyed cotton.
Kotpad handloom, from Koraput district in southern Odisha, is a coarse, durable cotton cloth dyed with the root of the aal (Indian madder) tree, which gives deep maroon, dark brown and, with an iron mordant, black, against an undyed cream ground. It is woven into sarees, dupattas, stoles, dhotis, shawls and blankets, often with simple stripes, temple borders and rows of small motifs — fish, crab, boat, axe, temple — drawn from the life and beliefs of the region's tribal communities, for whom the Mirgan weavers traditionally worked.
Craft at a Glance
Origin
Kotpad, Odisha
Also Known As
Kotpad handloom, Mirgan weaving, aal-dyed cotton
Craft Type
Natural-dye (aal root) cotton handloom weaving
Practising Community
The Mirgan (Panika) weaver community of Kotpad, who weave for and among the region's Adivasi communities
Materials
Coarse cotton yarn; aal (Morinda) root as the dye; castor oil, cow dung and wood ash for the mordant treatment; and iron (from rusted scrap) for the black.
Known For
Kotpad sarees, dupattas, stoles and dhotis in aal-root maroon and iron black on cream, with tribal motifs
Where It's Made
Kotpad and surrounding villages in Koraput district, southern Odisha; near the Chhattisgarh border
Time to Create
One to two weeks per piece, including dyeing
GI Status
Kotpad Handloom Fabric was the first product from Odisha to receive a GI
Process Steps
Oiling and mordanting the yarn
Cotton yarn is worked for days in a mix of castor oil, cow dung and wood ash so it will bond permanently with the dye.
Preparing the aal dye
Dried aal root is ground and soaked to make the dye bath.
Dyeing
The mordanted yarn is dipped repeatedly in the aal bath; more dips give deeper maroon, and iron shifts the colour to black.
Drying and curing
The dyed yarn is dried in the sun and shade over several days so the colour sets and mellows.
Warping
Dyed and undyed yarns are warped for the saree or length, with the stripe and border sequence built in.
Weaving
The cloth is woven on a pit loom, with tribal motifs and borders worked as extra weft or woven stripes.
Washing and finishing
The finished cloth is washed, which softens it and deepens the natural colours, and is checked and folded.
Technique Glossary
Aal (aul) root
The root of the Morinda tree, the sole dye of Kotpad cloth, giving maroon, brown and, with iron, black.
Mirgan (Panika)
The hereditary weaver-dyer community of Kotpad who work for the region's tribal communities.
Oil mordanting
Treating yarn with oil, dung and ash for days so a dye bonds permanently to the fibre.
Kumbha border
A temple-tower border pattern used on Kotpad and other Odia handloom cloth.
Tribal motifs
Small woven figures — fish, crab, boat, axe, temple, conch — drawn from Koraput Adivasi life and belief.
Ritual cloth
The specific Kotpad cloth used by tribal communities in birth, marriage and death rites.
Extra weft
An additional patterning thread woven in to form the motifs and borders without weakening the cloth.
A Craft Through Time
Pre-modern
Weavers to the Adivasi
The Mirgan community weaves and aal-dyes cloth for the ritual and everyday needs of the Koraput hill tribes.
20th century
A distinct identity
The all-natural aal-dye process and the tribal motifs mark Kotpad cloth out from other Odia handlooms.
2005
Odisha's first GI
Kotpad Handloom Fabric becomes the first product from Odisha to receive a Geographical Indication.
2010s
Master recognition
Weaver Gobardhan Panika receives national honours, raising the craft's profile nationally.
21st century
Design and revival
Designers and craft organisations work with Kotpad weavers on contemporary sarees and stoles.
Present
A natural-dye handloom
A cluster of Mirgan families continues, supplying ritual cloth locally and natural-dye textiles to a wider market.
Did You Know?
Kotpad's maroon comes entirely from the root of the aal tree — the yarn is prepared with oil, dung and ash for days before dyeing, and the depth of colour depends on how many times it is dipped.
Every craft has a story. Every story begins with tradition.