Pochampally Sarees

Girl standing in Pochampalli sari,
Hermann Linde (1863-1923).
(Source: Wikimedia) 

Pochampally Ikat sarees are made in Nalconda and Warangal areas of Andhra Pradesh, now in Telangana. They are relatively new in India's saree landscape originating, it is believed, in the 19th century, and are distinguished by diamond, chowka (diamond in a square), and other geometrical patterns many of which appear to have been adopted from ‘Telia Rumals’ woven in Chirala that predate the development of Pochampally sarees.

The yarn used in the sarees is resist-dyed before being woven to create patterns usually in black, red and white. Although Pochampally sarees earlier sometimes had borders embellished with designs using supplementary yarn, today's sarees have borders which, more often than not, are plain. Apart from this, the spectrum of designs used on Pochampally sarees has widened over time, and flowers, dancing girls, parrots and elephants reminiscent of those seen on Gujarati Patola sarees are often seen on the sarees in addition to the older geometrical designs.

Pochampally sarees are woven in silk, cotton and in a combination of the two. The dying may be either along the weft or the warp (as in single Ikat), or both (as in combined or double Ikat).