Gharchola Craft of Gujarat

The gharchola is the traditional Hindu and Jain wedding sari and the numbers of squares in it is ritually important, being multiples of nine, 12, or 52. The making of the gharchola is a complicated and time-consuming process. A starched silk odhni or sari is fixed to a large wooden frame using nails. The sari/odhini, coloured red or green, is divided into a network of squares by rows of white tie-dyed spots or woven bands of zari. Motifs within each compartment range from elephants, parrots, and flowers to dancing girls.