Regarded as a symbol of pride and royalty, Patan’s patola stands out as one of the finest picks among sarees worldwide.

Getting their design inspiration from Ajanta cave paintings, the sarees are still a major source of fashion all over the world, including countries like Thailand, Malaysia, Uzbekistan, Iraq, and even Rome. 

The double ikat woven saree, usually made from silk, has been closely guarded as a family tradition by three families in Patan for years.

To prevent unauthorised manufacturing of a traditional and unique product of a particular region, a geographical indication (GI) tag was allotted to the ‘Patan Double Ikat Patola Weavers Association’ in 2013.

Despite the tag, after over a decade, traditional weavers of Patan feel sabotaged, as anyone residing in Patan can sell it as ‘Patan’s Patola’.

The real weavers of Patan believe that the essence of iconic patola sarees is perishing, as no outcome seems to be yielded from the allotted GI tag.

“We have been making patolas for generations, and the GI tag has hardly been a benefit for us. With a tag given to the whole region, any person could make and sell patola after coming to Patan,” said Rahul Salvi, a Patan-based weaver.

“GI tag can only be considered beneficial when people from Patan use its material and weave a real piece. The existence of patola will only prevail if there is strong prevention of the manufacturing of the product by others,” he said. 

In a contemporary world where duplication and cheap products are ruling, Patan’s patola faces existential crises.

The pure silk and real patola cost up to ₹3 lakhs, starting from ₹50,000, making them a luxurious and expensive fabric.

What is a GI tag?

Geographical indications (GIs) are intellectual property (IP), which identifies a product that originates from a specific geographical area and has a quality, reputation, or other characteristics that are essentially attributable to its geographical origin.

It is used to identify agricultural, natural, or manufactured goods belonging to a particular region.

So far, a total of 17 GI tags have been designated for Gujarat, which include:

Rajkot Patola, agates of Cambay (Khambhat), agates of Cambay (Logo), Jamnagari bandhani, Kutch shawls, Kutch embroidery, Kutch embroidery (Logo), Patan patola, Pethapur printing blocks, pithora painting, Sankheda furniture, Sankheda furniture (Logo), Surat zari craft, tangaliya Shawl, warli Painting, bhalia Wheat, and Gir kesar mango.

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