Indigo Katan Silk Suit, Mandala-Border Dupatta | Phuhaar

Tiny sprigs cover the fabric; large circular mandalas ring the dupatta ends.

• Two block sizes in one set, small sprigs against big circular mandalas, which is unusual on a printed silk suit.


• Hand block printed in Bhagalpur with hand-carved wooden blocks, never screen or machine printed.


• Deep indigo that stays deep, colour-fast with no bleeding on the first wash.

The print

Small off-white sprigs run all over the main length in a close, quiet repeat. The dupatta changes register entirely, carrying large circular mandalas in a horizontal band above a fringed hem, so the two pieces work as contrast rather than as more of the same.

Printing a large block cleanly is the harder job, since the whole motif has to take colour evenly in a single press. Look for the places where it lands slightly heavier on one edge; that is the hand, not a flaw.

The fabric

The indigo reads as a deep violet-blue with a matte surface and the soft lustre katan silk is bought for. It is opaque enough to stitch without any lining, and light enough that the finished set drapes close instead of standing away.

Styling

A deep indigo is the most versatile shade in this range, at ease at the office on a weekday and at a family dinner the same evening. Silver or oxidised jewellery picks up the coolness of the blue; gold warms it towards festive. Let the mandala border sit at the front when you drape, since that is the detail worth showing.

What you get

• 
  Top: 2.5 m, 44 to 45 inches wide


• 
  Bottom: 2.5 m, 44 to 45 inches wide


• 
  Dupatta: 2.5 m, 35 to 36 inches wide


• 
  Weight: 600 to 650 g for top, bottom and dupatta together


• 
  Lining: Not needed, the fabric is opaque; add one only to elevate the look


• 
  Stitching: Up to 4XL for straight kurta sets, length customisable


• 
  Care: Dry clean the first wash, then a gentle cold hand wash


• 
  Dispatch: Dispatched the next working day, even though every metre is printed by hand

The variation in the depth of each stamped mandala is the signature of hand block printing, and the reason no two dupattas match exactly.

Two blocks, two hands, one length of silk. In Bhagalpur, a printer works the small sprig block across the fabric at speed, then switches to the heavy circular block for the border, where the press has to be firm and even for the whole motif to take. Each block was carved by hand before it ever met the silk. Neither stage uses a screen or a machine, which is why the finished piece carries subtle shifts in depth and alignment that a printed reproduction never will.

Exchange: *Easy exchange is available within 3 days of receiving the product.
*No exchanges on home decor items.
*Unboxing video is required.

Return: *Only for damaged/wrong products.
*Unboxing video required.
Learn More

1. How do I know this is genuinely hand block printed?
Look closely at the print. Hand-carved wooden blocks are stamped one impression at a time, so the motifs sit fractionally out of register in places and the colour density varies from block to block. Screen and machine printing produce perfectly identical repeats; this suit does not, because it is printed by hand in Bhagalpur.

2. Does it need a lining or aster?
No, the fabric is opaque on its own and needs no lining. Some customers add one anyway to give the kurta more body and a more formal fall, but that is a styling choice, not a necessity.

3. Will the colours bleed when I wash it?
No. The fabric is colour-fast and does not bleed on the first wash, and it stays colour-fast after washing. Dry clean it the first time, then a gentle cold hand wash keeps it looking new.

4. What does this unstitched suit set include?
Three pieces: a 2.5 m top, a 2.5 m bottom and a 2.5 m dupatta. The top and bottom are 44 to 45 inches wide and the dupatta is 35 to 36 inches, so you have enough fabric to have the set stitched to your own fit rather than settling for a readymade size.

5. Is there enough fabric for a larger size?
Yes. With 2.5 m in each piece, the set can be stitched up to 4XL for straight kurta sets, and the length can be customised for larger sizes. It is a good gift for that reason too, since nothing depends on knowing someone's exact measurements.

6. What if the shade or the quality is not what I expected?
You can exchange it. Screens shift colour, so if the shade or the quality is not something you love when it arrives, write to us and we will exchange the set.