The sarees of Berhampur
The silk city of southern Odisha, known for pata sarees with temple borders, woven in bright, deep colours.
Motifs of Berhampur
Woven here
Best time: October to March; March to April in years of the Thakurani Jatra.
Berhampur, also spelled Brahmapur, is the main town of Ganjam district and the home of the Berhampuri silk saree, known as the pata. These sarees have a broad border with a temple design and are woven in deep colours. They are worn at weddings and rituals in southern Odisha.
What is woven here
Berhampur silk sarees are made of mulberry silk with a broad zari or silk border. The typical border carries a temple pattern, with rows of small peaks. Bodies may be plain, striped or checked, and the pallu is often richly worked. The weaving is by hand on pit looms and frame looms, with weavers moving between traditional and newer patterns. The cloth is worn at weddings and at ritual events.
The craft and its people
Weaving is done by families of silk weavers who live in weaver colonies in and around the town. The silk is usually brought from other parts of the country. Cooperatives and traders sell Berhampur sarees across Odisha and to Odia families outside the state.
Seeing it
The weavers' localities and the silk shops of the town show the cloth, and a visit can be combined with the coast at Gopalpur-on-Sea. The Thakurani Jatra, a festival of the town's goddess, is held every other year in March or April and fills the town with visitors. Check the schedule locally before planning a trip around it.
A trail idea for Berhampur
- The weavers' colony Walk through a locality of weaver households and see a pit loom in a front room.
- Silk shops in town Compare pata sarees with different border designs and ask what each pattern is called.
- Gopalpur-on-Sea Take a short drive to the coast for a quiet end to the trail.
Written by the EveryPallu desk with AI assistance. Background: "Brahmapur, Odisha" on Wikipedia. Opening hours, markets and workshops change; check locally before travelling. If something is wrong, tell us.
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