Our Legacy
Virasat Patola Emporium
Our legacy: four decades of handwoven Patola
Our story began at a single loom, with a weaver who chose one of India's most demanding crafts and gave it his life. Every saree we offer today still follows the patience and care he taught his family.
The man behind the name
A lifetime at the loom
Late Shri Premjibhai Dayabhai Parmar did not set out to build a brand. He set out to master a craft. Starting with plain handwoven cloth in his village, he went on to weave Patola fine enough for some of Bombay's best-known saree stores.
What he left behind is more than a business. It is a way of working, unhurried, exact and proud, that his family carries into every saree we sell.
From a village loom to a family name
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Late 1980s · Vastadi
Long days of hand weaving
In his home village of Vastadi, Premjibhai began his working life weaving simple fabrics by hand, starting early each morning and working through the day.
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Ratanpar
Meeting the Patola weavers
A move to Ratanpar brought him into contact with skilled Patola weavers. Drawn to the beauty and difficulty of the craft, he chose to learn it and devote himself to it.
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Bombay
Sarees for well-known stores
The finished sarees were taken personally to renowned Bombay stores, including Benzer and Amarsons.
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Growing
More looms, more cities
As demand for Patola grew, the family set up more handlooms and began selling in Ahmedabad and other cities.
Three stages, all done by hand
Patola is among the slowest and most precise textile arts in India. Nothing about it can be rushed, and each stage depends on the one before.
- Preparing the silk Raw silk yarn, sourced from Bangalore, is boiled several times until it is ready to weave, then wound into vankala and set out as pati to suit the size of the saree.
- Drawing the design on the threads The threads are stretched on a rectangular wooden frame called an adda. Using traditional graph patterns, each motif is marked and planned on the threads themselves before any weaving begins.
- Weaving as a pair Two people share each loom: one works the weave while the other lines up the pattern, thread by thread. Every inch must match perfectly.
Why a Patola takes so long
Because every thread is planned before it is woven, the time on the loom depends on how complex the saree is.
7–10 days
to hand weave a single ikat Patola
Several months
for a double ikat Patola
40+ years
of the family working with Patola
Carrying the craft to a new generation
Virasat Patola Emporium continues this heritage today, bringing the family's experience to a new generation of customers in India and around the world. Each saree reflects decades of practice and the skill of Indian handloom weaving.
Wear the story
Own a saree with four decades behind it
Browse our handwoven Patola, or book a video call and let us show you the sarees up close.
Art, culture and memory, woven together one thread at a time, and still being woven with every saree we make.