In a moment of pride for Odisha, the intricately woven Khandua Pata, crafted by handloom weavers from Tigiria Nuapatna in Cuttack, is set to grace the splendid stone idol of Lord Ram at the Ayodhya Ram Temple inauguration on January 22. The special Ahimsa ‘Khandua Pata’, made from Eri silk and featuring verses from the famous epic poem ‘Ramcharita Manas,’ received approval from the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust.
A dedicated team of seven to eight weavers invested 15 days to create this unique piece. The Khandua Pata was ceremoniously worshipped at the Ram Mandir in Bhubaneswar before being dispatched to Ayodhya.
According to sources, Lord Ram will don this special Khandua Pata the day after the Pran Pratishtha ceremony. One of the weavers shared, “After receiving permission from Champat Rai, the general secretary of Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust, our team of eight weavers diligently worked on the Khandua Pata for 15 days. The idol will be adorned with the pata on January 23. While instructed to reach Ayodhya by January 18, we plan to arrive on January 19.”
It’s worth noting that Lord Jagannath in Odisha traditionally wears the Gita Govinda Khandua Pata, initially crafted from tussar silk in Nuapatna village. However, the Odisha government later mandated the use of Eri silk to create the Gita Govinda Khandua Pata, ensuring a non-violent production process that does not involve harming silkworms. The eri cocoons used are open-mouthed and spun without causing harm, aligning with the principles of ahimsa.
