In a world with 50 shades of black and white and hashtag minimalism, Pipili stands tall like that one aunty who shows up at a wedding in a shimmering sequined saree with layered bangles and zero apologies. Located just 40 minutes away from Puri in Odisha, this small town spins threads not only into fabric, but into stories, festivals and the local folklore. Welcome to Pipili, the homeland of India’s most iconic applique work- Chandua kala (Odia: ଚାନ୍ଦୁଆ Cānduā).
The origins of this craft are steeped in great legends- locals say that during the reign of a Delhi Badshah, an artisan from Odisha was invited to the imperial court to create 2 multicoloured pillows. So exquisite was his craftsmanship that the Badshah felt he should adorn Lord Jagannatha with it instead. When one of the pillows mysteriously disappeared that night, the angry Badshah imprisoned the artisan. But that night Lord Jagannath himself appeared in the Badshah’s dream and revealed that the pillow had actually been divinely transported to the Puri temple. Awed by the miracle, the Badshah immediately released the artisan who went back home to share his appliqué knowledge with his community.
In the 1980s, Pipili art witnessed an important transition. Under the unwavering guidance of Debi Prasanna Nanda, a craft entrepreneur and scholar from Puri, the art opened itself up for the global audience. When an international client requested for a design inspired by traditional Mexican motifs, it lead to a series of experiments that broadened the artistic vocabulary of the Pipili artisans. Thus began Pipili’s journey to stardom.
What is Applique you ask?
This art involves cutting colourful fabric into intricate shapes- like flowers, birds, gods, geometric patterns- and then stitching them onto a darker base cloth using techniques like chain stitch, blanket stitch and straight stitch. The textiles are often made from cotton and velvet, dyed in bold colours like red, black, green and blue with white borders to create sharp visual contrast. It is a needlework technique where different colourful pieces of fabric are sewn onto a base fabric to create captivating designs. Applique is a french term which means “to put on” or “to apply”. The beauty of Pipili applique lies in the various types of decorative stitches used by the artisans such as Bakhia (stem stitch), Guntha (running stitch), Taropa (hem stitch), buttonhole stitch, Chikana (chain stitch), Khanja (tag stitch), and also combinations of these stitches.
Where Stitch Meets Ritual
Pipili applique’s story dates back to the 12th century, when the benevolent King of Odisha established this village to accommodate the craftsmen who made applique umbrellas, tents, and canopies to decorate lord Jagannath’s annual Rath Yatra. However, Pipili applique was never just about aesthetics, it was about function wrapped in faith. Every colour, cut, and shape was coded. Then came the motifs- elephants, mangoes, peacocks, suns, and fish, which I’ll delve deeper into below.
Mangoes: A Symbol of Fertility and Fruitition
Let’s begin with everyone’s favourite tropical fruit- the mango! No Pipili collection is complete without it. In Indian iconography, the amba is more than just a summer fruit. It’s a loaded symbol of sweetness and creation. In Pipili’s chandua tradition, mangoes are stitched in larger-than-life floral loops, nestled inside sunburst mandalas and thickly outlined with black borders. They are motifs you’ll find on Jagannath’s Rath yatra umbrellas and wedding canopies. At Odia weddings, appliqué wall hangings with mango motifs are gifted to the newlywed couple saying: “May your house be full, your harvests richer, and your love always sweet”. This connection between the mango and fertility is not unique to Pipili– it’s stitched deep into Indian textile traditions. The mankolam paisley is a mango motif used in Kanchipuram sarees, while the stylized mango called kalga is seen on Kashmiri embroidered shawls. In Pipili, the difference lies in the drama– with fabrics in shocking orange, crimson and indigo, the Pipili mango shoots from the rooftops.
Elephants: Ganesha in Reverse Applique?
If mangoes whisper fertility, the elephants announce majesty. Elephants have walked all over Odisha’s art for centuries. From the 13th-century Konark Sun temple stone carvings to palm leaf manuscripts, they are symbols of strength and order. In Pipili, they are reimagined through reverse applique– a method where layers of fabrics are stitched and snipped to reveal the form beneath. Adorned with flared tusks and feathered crowns, you can spot Pipili elephants on umbrellas during Dola Yatra, a march festival that heralds the arrival of spring in Odisha.
And Pipili is not alone in worshipping the elephant– they appear in mirror-studded Rabari embroidery in Gujarat, stamped onto fabric in indigo in the block printing Bagru art of Rajasthan, and carved onto metal bells in Bastar by the Dhokra artists of Chattisgarh.
Peacocks: The Rainbow-coloured Muse
In Pipili applique, the peacock sits as the eternal muse. Far more than just ornamental, the peacock (mayura) is revered as the vehicle (vahana) of Lord Kartikeya in Odisha and a symbol of love and longing in Odissi dance, where dancers imitate the peacock’s graceful neck movements. Cross-culturally, the peacock finds its way onto fabrics across states– peacocks flank around lord Krishna in Rajasthan’s Pichwai paintings, appear alongside Goddess Sarawati in Andhra’s Kalamkari, and adorn a new bride’s wedding dress in Punjab’s Phulkari embroidery.
The Sun: Surya shining into celebration
In Pipili applique, the sun motif is more than just a circle– it is an explosion of divinity, with flaming rays spread out in vibrant red, orange and yellow. The sun holds immense spiritual value in Odisha, especially since the UNESCO World Heritage site Konark Sun Temple has been carved entirely in Surya’s honour. The sun is also the source of Agni (fire) in Hindu mythology, linked to rituals of purification and the cycles of life and death. Across India, the sun motifs beam through regional craft. In Rajasthan, sunburst patterns are common on turbans and lehengas in the Sanganeri and Bagru block prints. In Madhubani paintings, Surya rides a chariot pulled by horses from Vedic lore. But Pipili’s sun stands out by virtue of it’s vibrancy.
The Fish: Swimming across your Saree
The Matsya (fish) motif in Pipili holds immense weight as Vishnu’s first avatar who saved humanity from the great flood. In Pipili applique, fish are always stitched in pairs– sometimes together, sometimes swimming apart– signifying the yin-yang balance and cyclical chakra of time. Fish motifs are common in decor during Lakshmi Puja, as the goddess of wealth is believed to favour aquatic abundance. This aquatic love mirrors across states– in Bengal’s Kantha embroidery, fish are stitched as symbols of food security. In Assam’s mekhala chador, fish designs called mohura motifs are woven into bridal wear. In Gond paintings, fish symbolise regeneration and are shown travelling in huge groups.
Current Status of Pipili: Revival, Recognition and Resilience
Once seen as a craft slowly fading from memory, Pipili is now stitching its rightful way back into the national spotlight. In a dazzling display of scale and storytelling, Pipili artists created a 54 meter long applique panel chronicling India’s freedom struggle- earning a spot in the Limca Book of Records in 2004 as the Longest thematic applique. But it didn’t stop there. In 2008, it proudly earned the Geographical Indication (GI) tag, marking its rightful place on India’s heritage map.
Fast forward to October 2024, and the central government has pressed the pedal on preserving this legacy. After a question raised by Puri MP Sambit Patra, Union Culture Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat announced a nationwide revival mission. All 7 Zonal Cultural Centres (ZCCs) under the Ministry of Culture have been roped in to promote Pipili’s Chandua across the country. The applique will be showcased at major cultural festivals like Rashtriya Sanskriti Mahotsav (RSM), while artisans will receive financial aid, market linkages, and youth training programs to breathe fresh life into this slowly disappearing art.
And why does this matter so much? Because Pipili is not just fabric and thread. It is the living memory of temple rituals, street parades and festival fervour. It is a physical medium that carries centuries of stories within it. With the government and artisans stepping up together, Pipili’s chanduas are no longer just wall hangings- they are banners of revival.
Conclusion
“Tradition is not the worship of ashes, it is the preservation of fire”
– Gustav Mahler
In Pipili, every stitch tells a story– of gods, seasons and the tiny everyday joys of life in Odisha. But look closer, and you will also see the story of a small town that dared to hold onto its colour in a graying world. A story of women who sit on their verandahs with scissors and fabrics to tell their own stories. Bursting with colour and rooted in years of tradition, Pipili appliqué reminds us that tradition isn’t old-fashioned. It’s alive, right here, right now. It’s not just nostalgia- it is also resistance. Against homogenisation. Against the idea that tradition must quietly sit inside a glass mueseum while the feet of modernity and “progress” keep walking all over it.
In recent years, this resistance has only grown stronger. With a GI tag to its name and an entry into the Limca Book of records, along with government initiatives to train young artisans and bring them onto the field- the fire is slowly being rekindled. The town of Pipili, once a pistop between Bhubaneshwar and Puri, is now reclaiming its identity as a cultural epicentre.
So the next time you pass by a canopy of applique or see a Jagannath motif on a tote bag in a Delhi fair, remember- this isn’t just craft. It is storytelling. It is survival. It is Odisha, not in black and white, but in every shade of celebration.
References
Behera, K. S. (1993). Maritime Heritage of India: Odisha’s ancient trade links with Southeast Asia. Indian Museum Bulletin, 28(1), 11–22.
Dhamija, J. (1970). Living traditions of India: Crafts. National Book Trust, India.
Jain, J. (2012). Textile traditions of India: Contemporary perspectives. Marg Foundation.
Mohanty, B. (2015). Crafting Odisha: A Study of Pipili Appliqué Work and Its Cultural Identity. Odisha Review, 72(1), 22–27. Retrieved from https://odisha.gov.in/odisha-review
Ramaswamy, S. (2003). The Goddess and the Nation: Mapping Mother India. Duke University Press.
Rath, P. K. (2017). Pipili Applique Work: A Legacy of Odisha’s Craft Heritage. Indian Journal of Traditional Knowledge, 16(2), 334–339. Retrieved from http://nopr.niscair.res.in/
Sahoo, S. (2020). Folk and Tribal Art of Odisha: A Cultural Overview. International Journal of Humanities and Social Science Research, 8(1), 15–22.