Our story
Abha means radiance in Odia. Ours comes from the handloom of western Odisha, and the people who weave it.
Woven in western Odisha
Odisha has woven ikat for centuries. In Sambalpur, Bargarh and Sonepur, families of weavers tie and dye each thread before it ever reaches the loom, so the pattern lives in the yarn itself. Bandha, pasapali, kumbha: these are the names of our grandmothers’ sarees.
From thread to earring
When a saree is cut and stitched, small pieces of that handwoven fabric are left over. We collect those offcuts, choose the parts where the ikat sings, and shape each one by hand into earrings, edged with chain or thread and set with gold-tone or oxidised metal.
Step 1: Tie and dye the thread
Before anything is woven, weavers tie tight bundles of yarn and dye them, again and again, so the pattern is already in the thread. This is bandha.
Step 2: Weave on the loom
The dyed threads are lined up on a handloom and woven, and the pattern appears row by row: pasapali checks, kumbha temple spires, flowing bandha.
Step 3: Choose the offcuts
When a saree or kurta is cut and stitched, small pieces are left over. We sort through them for the parts where the ikat is at its best.
Step 4: Shape, edge and set by hand
Each piece is cut to shape, stiffened, edged with chain or hand-stitched thread, and set with gold-tone or oxidised metal and little bells.
Meet Sushree Swagatika
Abha was started by Sushree Swagatika to carry Odisha’s handloom into everyday wear, not only festival days. Every pair is made in small batches and packed on the Abha card by hand.
Find your pair
Every pair is cut from a different piece of handloom, so the one you choose is the only one exactly like it.