Coastal Odisha, where curvilinear single Ikat Khandua silk is woven, is the ‘Gift of Six Rivers’, a hexadeltaic region where the fish is tied to spiritual beliefs and to everyday life. While the fish is, inescapably, a manifestation of wealth and fertility in a very literal sense given how much people in the region rely on it for sustenance, it also resonates far more deeply.
Scripture tells the tale of how Matsya, the first avataar of Lord Vishnu, the sustainer of life, saved the king, Satyavrata, from the great flood by directing him to build a ship which could carry the world's living beings. Matsya then guided the ship through turbulent waters to the Himalayas; Satyavrata returned only after the waters receded, coming to be known as Manu, the first man.
The great flood was a manifestation of the cycle of the destruction and the renewal of the universe while Matsya came to symbolise not just protection but also salvation and the triumph of life, the ability to navigate its waters with grace. The motif, often woven into sarees, is a blessing of abundance and resilience.
It is, however, not just the Ikat in the saree which is steeped in religion and philosophy. The border contains rows of fish, flowers, and stars which together represent Srushti (creation) and Purnata (wholeness) through the juxtaposition of the fish signalling unseen depths beneath the waters, flowers representing the earth and transience of the cycle of life, and stars denoting the heavens, the celestial realm from which they bear witness and provide protection to all life. Together, these elements reflect a balanced life which mirrors a spiritual map of the cosmos.
The flowers appear to be lotuses linked to Lord Jagannath, a supposition reinforced by the design of the border. Its structure represents temple architecture: the gold and white Mandapa blocks, the Kumbha temple spires at the very edge, and the stylised Rudraksha dots, and its colours which invoke the three deities of the Puri Jagannath temple: Black, Lord Jagannath; White: Lord Balabhadra; and Gold, Goddess Subhadra. The ‘Triveni’ combination turns the saree into an expression of devotion, blessing its wearer.