WOVEN INTO HISTORY

Bazaar India journeys into the world of Odisha's timeless Khandua sari, on a trip to its birthplace with the newly launched fashion label Boito.

- SARAH KHALKHO

A two-hour drive from Bhubaneshwar leads to Nuapatna in Cuttack, where massive frames of tied fabric, ivory curtains of drying yarn, and rows of vivid sari-wrapped poles welcome you at every corner. I am here with a group of other journalists hosted by Boito, a new label by Bengaluru-based Richa Maheshwari who is on a mission to spotlight Odisha’s diverse textile crafts, including Khandua—the silk fabric the town is known and GI-tagged for.

Coincidentally, my first sari was a tomato-red and black Khandua, a way to connect with my Odia roots. Richa’s enchantment with the region’s textiles began in a similar vein. The former product engineer decided to travel to the most remote parts of her home state in June 2022, Nuapatna being one of them, which led to the inception of Boito. This is where she first met Lakshmidhara Guin, the weaver who took us on a tour of the village. Richa says that while he was initially sceptical of coming onboard, his vision for keeping the dying handloom traditions alive won in the end.