G.I.

– APPLICATION NUMBER 76

Application is made by The Commissioner for Textile, Development

and Director of Handlooms and Textiles, Government of Karnataka,
No. 14/3A, 3rd Floor, R.P. Building, Nrupatunga Road, Bangalore -
560001 for registration in Part A of the register of Ilkal Sarees under
Application No 76 in respect of Sarees falling in Class 24 is hereby
advertised as accepted under sub-section (1) of section 13 of
Geographical Indications of Goods (Registration and Protection) Act,
1999.

Applicant : The Commissioner for Textile

Development and Director of
Handlooms and Textiles,
Government of Karnataka.

Address : No. 14/3A, 3rd Floor, R.P.

Building, Nrupatunga Road,
Bangalore - 560001

Geographical Indication : ILKAL SAREES

Class : 24

Goods : Sarees
(A) Name of the applicant : Commissioner for Textile
Development and Director of
Handlooms and Textiles,
Government of Karnataka,

(B) Address : No. 14/3A, 3rd Floor, R.P.

Building, Nrupatunga Road,
Bangalore - 560001

(C) List of association of

persons / Producers /
organization / Authority : To be provided on request.

(D) Type of goods : Manufactured goods, Textiles.

(E) Specification : (a) Length of sarees

(i) 5.4 metres (6 yards)
(ii) 7.2 metres (8 yards)
(iii) 8.1 metres (9 yards)
(b) Width: 48” Body: 40”
Borders: 8” (each side: 4”) and
5”, 7”, 9” (9” Gayatri Saree)
(c) Designs (Borders)
(i) Borders: Chikki , gomi,
Chikki Paras, Naveelu Dadi,
Honnur – Traditional ones,
(ii) Gayathree and Godidadi –
Modern type
(d) Body Designs
(i) Checks, (ii) Plain and Stripes,
(iii) Special checks.
(e) Colours:
(i) Borders: Red or Maroon or
Green or Yellow or Black
(ii) Body: Blue, Rose, Green, and
Orange or lemon yellow, Black
(f) Yarn used
 Art silk Silk Silk
S.
Portion Colour X X X
No.
Cotton Cotton Silk
1 Body warp Required 120’s 20/22 20/22 Denier Silk
Denier A.s Denier
Silk
2. Pallavwarp Red 75/1 Denier 20/22 20/22 Denier Silk
A.s Denier
Silk
3 Border Red 75/2 Denier 20/22 20/22 Denier Silk
warp A.s Denier
Silk
4 Extra warp Grey 75/2 20/22 20/22 Denier Silk
DenierA.s Denier
Silk
5 Extra warp Yellow 120/2 20/22 20/22 Denier Silk
Denier A.s Denier
Silk
6 Extra warp Gr/ Or / 150/1 20/22 20/22 Denier Silk
Red Denier A.s Denier
Silk
7 Body weft Required 120’s 24/26 24/26 Denier silk
Denier A.s Denier 2 ply
Silk 2
ply
8 Body weft Black 60’s Cotton 60’s 24/26 Denier silk
Cotton 2 ply
9 Pallav Bleach 150’s 24/26 24/26 Denier silk
weft Denier A.s Cotton 2 2 ply
Ply

10 Pallav Red 150’s 24/26 24/26 Denier silk

weft Denier A.s Denier 2 ply
silk 2 ply
 Note: As: Art Silk.

Read Count used: 1) Art silk x cotton – 60s x 50” stock port
steel
2) Silk x Cotton – 72’s x 50” stock port steel
3) Silk x Silk – 72’s x 50” stock port steel
Note: - Some times 100s x 50” Stock port
steel reed is used in all three cases
depending upon the quality required.

(F) Name of the Geographical Indication (and particulars):

ILKAL SAREES

Ilkal is medium sized town in Bagalkote district. The town is

located in a valley that lies in South – East corner of Bagalkote
district and is quite close to the borders of Kushtagi taluk of
Koppal district. The town falls within the jurisdiction of Hungund
taluk and lies at a distance of about 12 Kms south of taluk head
quarters. Between these two towns, Ilkal is an important centre of
trade, commerce and industry. Among other weaving centres
where Ilkal sarees produced are as follows.

A. Hungund taluk

(i) Hire upnal – 1Km from Ilkal

(ii) Gorbal – 2Km from Ilkal
(iii) Kodihal – 35 Km from Ilkal
(iv) Amingad – 24 Km from Ilkal
(v) Suli bhavi – 26 Kms from Ilkal
(vi) Kamtagi – 36 Km from Ilkal
(vii) Kandgal – 19Km from Ilkal
(viii)Gudur – 25Km from Ilkal
(ix) Rakkasagi – 20Km from Ilkal
 B. Badami taluk

(i) Belur – 48Kms from Ilkal

(ii) Jalihal – 50Kms from Ilkal
(iii) Hebballi – 60Kms from Ilkal
(iv) Konkanakoppa – 65Kms from Ilkal
(v) Guledagudda-50Kms from Ilkal

II) Koppal District

A. Kustagi taluk

(i) Dotihal – 15Kms from Ilkal

(ii) Hanumsagar – 15Kms from Ilkal
(iii) Tawargera – 45Kms from Ilkal

III) Gadag District

(i) Gajendragad- Taluk RON

IV) Bijapur District

(i) Golasang - Basavana Bagewadi Taluk
(ii) Vandal - Basavana Bagewadi Taluk
(iii) Ganal - Basavana Bagewadi Taluk
(iv) Benal - Basavana Bagewadi Taluk
(v) Hiremural - Muddebihal Taluk
(vi) Bavoor - Muddebihal Taluk
(vii) Balaganur--Muddebihal Taluk

(G) Description of goods:

(i) General:

Ilkal sarees are woven using cotton warp on the body and art silk
warp for border and art silk warp for pallav portion of the saree. In
some cases instead of art silk, pure silk is also used. The general
construction particulars followed at Ilkal for the past years are
given in the page 3 of 28.
 The peculiar characteristic of the saree is joining the body warp
with the pallav warp which is locally called as TOPE TENI. This
technique is only used exclusively at Ilkal. If anyone requires Ilkal
saree one must prepare a warp for every saree. Warp threads for
body is prepared separately. Similarly pallav warp is prepared
separately either with art silk or pure silk depending upon the
quality required. Thirdly border portion of warp is prepared as like
the pallav warp either art silk or pure silk and the colour used for
pallav and on border will be one and the same. In general, the
length of the pallav will range 16” to 27”. The pallav threads and
body threads are joined in loop technique, a typical method which
is locally called as TOPE TENI.:

(ii) Designs

(a) Borders

The design woven in the length wise borders are mainly three
types.

(i) Gomi (more popularly known as Ilkal dadi)

(ii) Paraspet (Sub-divided into chikki paras and dodd paras)
(iii) Gaadi

(b) Main body design

(i) Stripes, rectangles, squares

(c) Inner body does not have any special features.

With above broad parameters the Ilkal sarees differ in matters of size,
nature and quality of yarn used for different portion of saree as also
colour combination and combinations of designs on the borders and
main body of the saree. The beauty of Tope-teni seragu is further
enhanced at times by weaving in its middle portion, yet another design
known as ‘Kyadgi’.
(H) Geographical area of Production and Map as shown in page no.

(I) Proof of origin: (Historical records)

(a) Bijapur District - Mysore – state Gazetteer – 1966 Page 204 – last
para “Mulls, fine Dhoties are produced at Ilkal………………… The
peculiarity of saree manufactured at Ilkal is its border ranging in width
from 2,1/2 to 4” in which red colour generally predominant ………..”
Page 508 – 2nd para “Ilkal is a centre of the weaving and dyeing
industries in the district specially famous for its sarees”.

(b) Census of India -1981 – Part XD – series 9. – Karnataka-

Handicraft survey report.
- Ilkal sarees – brought out by Government of India

Page 1

The place “Ilkal” too belongs to the illustrious category of beautiful

sarees and is traditionally associated with weaving of specific verities of
sarees which under nomenclature of Ilkal sarees “are of popular in
northern districts of Karnataka

Page 3

(i) “By definition Ilkal sarees are those that were first designed and
produced almost exclusively by the weavers at Ilkal”.

(ii) Ilkal, a town in Hungund taluk of Bijapur District is obviously a

place where the craft under study (Ilkal Sarees) had its origin

(iii)Page 5 – 2nd Para

“Sarees which are popularly labeled as Ilkal sarees are mainly produced
at Ilkal and few other near by villages ….”
(c) Gazetteer of the Bombay Presidency – Vol XXIII
- Bijapur – Page 654
- Published in 1884
“Ilkal is the centre of weaving and dyeing industries in Hungund
and had 684 looms in 1883 against 500 in 1851”.

(J) Methods of Production:

Ilkal traditional sarees are produced mainly on pit looms with the
combination of three types of different yarns namely Silk x Silk, Silk x
Cotton, Art silk x Cotton. Along with the above said yarn combination
totally four different traditional designs are produced - they are Chikki
Paras, Gomi, Jari and recently modified traditional design Gayathri.

These sarees are produced in different lengths 6.00 yards, 8.00 yards,
and 9.00 yards with solid as well as contrast borders.

The main distinction in these sarees is its attached temple type Pallav
(locally called as TOPE TENI) by inter locking body warp and pallav
warp using loop system and inserting weft by three shuttles using two
different colours yarn by Kondi technique ;

A weaver requires apart from himself two others for preparatory work.

Process of yarn to fabric

Body Warp

The yarn in the cone or Hank form is converted in to required

length of ball warp by peg warping system. This warp is sized by
plant resin or gum (Locally called antu), manually blowing on it to
get stiffness, extra care is taken to avoid clinging of wet ends each
other during drying; this warp has to be prepared for each saree,
initially this warp will be in two layers having half the saree length
excluding stretching latter it becomes single layer of full length
required for this saree after weaving the Pallav portion.
Border warp

Border warp also prepared by peg warping system in to required

length, no resin is used, but the length of warp is made once for six
sarees or nine sarees.

Pallav warp

Pallav warp also prepared by vertically arranged peg warping

system during preparation of warp each body warp end interlaced
with the Pallav warp end manually (locally called Tan adding) to
get interlocking in the ends each other, no resin is used, four ends
are used for Pallav.

Extra warp

These ends are prepared as of border warp, no resin is used.

Drawing in: After preparation of warps each ends of Pallav warp
are drawn in to the reed and country heald shafts (Bamboo reed
with locally constructed heald shaft) manually sticking to the left
over ends of previous saree (locally called Kechchu) or drawing in
directly (Vaipani).

Weaving

After gaiting up warp and healds on the loom, weaving starts.

Firstly Pallav portion is woven by using three shuttles with two

different colour yarn using Kondi technique (to form temple type
design). Two weavers are required to weave KONDI technique
After weaving of Pallav including the inter locked part of body
warp and Pallav warp (Attaching portion) one part or layer of the
body warp is cut to get standard length of saree (initially half
length of body warp with four ends (two layers) latter becomes full
length with two ends (single layer with two ends per dent). After
this, normal plain or checks weaving continues till end of the saree.
 The above said process and preparation repeats for each saree
except border warp and extra warp, the preparation of which
repeats every six or nine sarees.

Place of work:

Weaving of Ilkal sarees is mostly an indoor activity. It is

essentially a household enterprise involving active participation of
female members.

(K) Uniqueness:

1. The uniqueness of saree is joining of the body warp with pallav warp
with a series of loops locally called as TOPE TENI technique.

2. The weaver will gait only 6 yards, 8 yards, 9 yards warp due to above
TOPE TENI technique.
KONDI Technique is used for weft through inserting 3 shuttles.

3. Pallau portion-Design: “TOPE TENE SERAGU” Normally in tope

teni seragu 3 solid portions would be in red colour, and in between 2
portions in white colour.

4. Tope Teni seragu has been regarded as a state symbol and was greatly
respected during festival occasions.

5. Traditional Borders: (i) Chikki, (ii) Gomi, and (iii) Gadidadi, and
modern Gaythri are unique ones in Ilkal sarees - width ranging from 2.5”
to 4”

6. Border Colour Uniqueness: Red usually or Maroon dominates.

(L) Inspection body:

It is proposed by Department of Handlooms and Textiles, Government

of Karnataka to form a core team towards ensuring standards, quality,
integrity and consistency of goods. The team of members would be

1. Dy-Director Textiles, Department of Handlooms, Government

of Karnataka, Bagalkote – Member Secretary

2. Dy Director, Weavers service centre, Bangalore – Member

3. Central silk Technological research Institute, Bangalore-

Member.

4. Leading societies at Ilkal – Members – 2Nos.

5. Karnataka Handloom Development Corporation, Ilkal town –

Member.

6. National Institute of Fashion Technology, Bangalore – Member

7. A representative from Master Weaver.