Pipili appliqué work

What is Pipili appliqué work?

Chandua is the appliqué craft of Pipili, a small town in Puri district, Odisha. Shapes cut from cloth are stitched onto a base layer; in the reverse method, the top of two stacked layers is cut away to show the colour beneath. The work fills canopies, umbrellas, lanterns, pillows, seats and ritual dresses for temple deities, in colourful cloth set with mirrors and decorative stitches. Appliqué is a French word meaning to put on; chandua is the older Odia name, drawn from a Sanskrit term for moonlight and canopy. Workers and workshops in Pipili keep the craft going in traditional and contemporary forms.

Where does Pipili appliqué work come from?

The craft traces back to 12th-century Jagannath worship. Under the Gajapatis, canopies, umbrellas and lanterns in appliqué were made for the annual Rath Jatra of Jagannath, and that ritual duty shaped what Pipili's workers made for centuries after. The connection still shows: the deities' three chariots travel under colourful appliqué covers, alike in design and apart only in colour. Pipili, the town that gave the craft its wider name, lies about 40 kilometres from Puri, and workshops there practise the technique in traditional and newer forms alike.

How is Pipili appliqué work made?

Two methods share the name. In one, a fabric shape is sewn down over a base layer. In the other, called reverse appliqué, two layers are laid together, a shape is cut from the upper cloth to expose the one below, and the two are then stitched as one. The base cloth changes with the use: waterproof material for umbrellas, velvet for tents, plain cotton for other pieces, with thread for the sewing. Makers join the cut pieces with straight, satin, blind or buttonhole stitch, and sometimes add mirror work and other decorative stitches.

Colours, motifs and borders

Patterns come from myth and nature. Peacocks, ducks and parrots perch among trees, creepers and flowers such as jasmine and lotus, with elephants walking through. Overhead shine the sun and the half-moon, and Rahu, the demon of legend said to have swallowed the sun. Mirror work appears now and then among the stitched shapes, with decorative stitches adding texture. The three covers made for the Rath Jatra chariots share one basic design and differ chiefly in colour, so each deity's chariot travels under its own shade.

How Pipili appliqué work is worn

Chandua is not a cloth people wear. It dresses objects and deities: the three Rath Jatra chariots wear its bright covers, and the deities themselves have ritual dresses made with appliqué, along with their tents, seats and pillows. In homes it appears as household and decorative pieces rather than as clothing.

When Pipili appliqué work is worn

Ritual and festival carry the craft. Chandua pieces are used during rites and jatras of the deities, and the best known are the colourful cloth covers stretched over the three rathas at Rath Jatra, each chariot's set differing from the others in colour alone. The deities also wear ritual dresses made in appliqué. Beyond the temple, the work now serves the household and festival trade, with Pipili's workshops making traditional and contemporary items side by side.

Styles of Pipili appliqué work

Pipili's workshops move between two worlds. The traditional one belongs to the temple: canopies, umbrellas, lanterns and the three chariot covers for Rath Jatra. The contemporary one serves the household and festival market, with pillows, seats and decorative pieces. Materials shift with the job, waterproof cloth for umbrellas and velvet for tents. Scale can stretch far too: Pipili holds a Guinness record for the largest thematic appliqué piece, a 54-metre work showing scenes from India's freedom struggle.

What Pipili appliqué work means

The name chandua carries its story: it descends from a Sanskrit word through Prakrit, with senses including moonlight, awning, canopy and lantern, a fitting line for a craft born to shade and adorn. Appliqué is the economic spine of Pipili, whose income rests largely on the trade, and its many workers and workshops keep the technique alive. The Government of India has granted the craft Geographical Indication status, and in 2004 Pipili entered the Guinness Book of Records for the largest thematic appliqué piece ever made, a 54-metre work on India's freedom struggle.

Questions people ask about Pipili appliqué work

Good reading and sources

• Pipili appliqué work on WikipediaEncyclopedia
• More photos on Wikimedia CommonsPhotos and video
• Wikidata recordOpen data