Chandua

Chandua is an appliqué technique done in the village of Pipili in the Puri District of Odisha. This appliqué technique was initially started as a tribute to Lord Jagannath of the Puri Temple. In earlier days, this appliqué technique was used to make ornate umbrellas and canopies for the annual rath yatra at the temple.

Chandua is also granted the Geographical Indication (GI) tag by the government of India.

Chandua is done in two variants. In the first variant, a shaped fabric is sewn over the baser layer to make the appliqué. In the second variant, two layers of fabrics are laid down. The shape is cut down from the top layer exposing the lower layer before both are stitched together to make the appliqué. The standard designs used in Chandua are mystical creatures, flowers, Sun & Moon, birds, and animals. Depiction of Lord Jagannath is prevalent in Chandua.

Chandua combines Stitching and Embroidery and also uses small mirror work. Chandua is not exclusive to temples nowadays and used for decorations in households and uses contemporary designs to appeal to everyone.

Photography @pandamayuri