In
Orissa, the art of Appliqué was originally employed in the temples. Later on it became a means of decorating the homes. Worthy of special mention is the artisans belonging to Pipli, a village situated 40 km from
Puri. They are renowned the world over for the perfection they have attained in this art.
Appliqué work involves a very interesting procedure. A colored cloth is cut in the shape of birds, animals, flowers, leaves and other popular motifs and stitched on to a different cloth. Red, yellow, white and black are the traditional colors of the cut pieces. Green is the recent addition to this range. The cloth with the stitched pieces is fashioned as wall-hangings, stylish umbrellas, lamp shades and other decorative artifacts. Even the textile products like the saree are embellished using this exquisite art.
Further enhancement has been done to the Appliqué work. Tiny mirrors, shaped in a wide variety of shapes, are used sometimes instead of cloth pieces and embedded into the clothes using fine embroidery.
Some of the finest examples of appliqué work can be seen on the canopies adoring the deities in the famed Jagannath Temple of Puri.
