Kota Doria Sarees

Genesis of Kota Doria Sarees is the stuff of legends. One version has it  that Maharao Kishore Singh ji , a Mughal General of note,on a campaign in south India,brought back with him master crafts men from Mysore who  skilfully omitted threads in the warp and weft of cotton fabric and produced such small checks that even a single  masur dal seed would not pass through.The fabric so produced was light as gossamer and very strong.These sarees are still called Masuria in Kota.But the rest of the world knows of them as Kota Doria Sarees.

Original Masuria is made on hand looms in the villages of Kaithun, Roteda, Bara and Mangraul.Each loom produces only 5 sarees a month.Now a days the mix of the fabric is 70% cotton from Coimbatore and 30% silk from Karnataka-so as to last longer through the day.Traditionally the color of the sarees was white but now a days many more colors have been introduced including vegetable dyes,Bagru and Sanganer block printing/screen printing and embroidery and mixing Zari from Surat.

Rajasthan Handloom Development Corporation (RHDC) is taking the lead in producing items other than sarees from the Kota Doria .They have helped produce lamp shades,curtains, skirts and salwar-kamiz.They have even helped make an all silk saree on Masuria handlooms.

There are many other varities of  Kota Doria Sarees made on power looms in Benaras, Surat and other cities.

Kota Doria Sarees are avilable at the RHDC showroom opposite Ajmeri Gate on M.I.Road(2371109).