A beautiful amalgamation of handicraft and culture, most believe that Gota-Patti is the sole highlight of Rajasthan, some also argue that it is actually a Pakistani form of embroidery that originated in Punjab before its popularity in neighbouring states. The craft is indeed centuries old and has traditionally been the domain of royalty and members of the court. Today, it's a festive and bridal wardrobe staple. Gota is basically gold and silver lace from Lucknow. This metallic lace is made up of weft threads covered with metal, while the warp is composed of pieces of yarn such as cotton and polyester. Small pieces of zari are sewn on the fabric, with a border sewn to create a pattern.
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The Zari thread is usually real silver, gold plated or imitation copper, and gold or silver plated. Gota ribbons are woven with an overlay of flat gold and silver threads and a weft of silk or cotton yarn. This substance is then used as a sealant on a variety of textiles. In addition to traditional Indian clothing, Gota-Patti can also be found on buns, rakhis, turbans, home decorations and juttis. Gota-Patti was only worn by royal families in the early days, but today it has become a lot more popular. This can be attributed to the shift from gold and silver to gilt and Lurex, as well as the mass production of gota by electric looms in Surat and Ajmer.
Gota-Patti's work is rhinestone work, traditionally performed on dresses, coats, sarees, Ghagras and even turbines. It is popular not only in the state or country but also worldwide. These special embroidered clothes that everyone can wear to carnival or any special occasion as they are all made of brilliant gold and sequins. Considered a ‘shagun’, a symbol of good omens and goodwill, gota can be used as kinaris, hemmed or cut and crafted into designs to be sewn on clothes and turbines worn at weddings and festivals such as Eid, Diwali, Dussehra, Sharad Purnima, Holi, Teej and Gangaur. We mostly see married women wearing them. Surface textures and embroidery enhance the value of traditional textiles. Worn by the Mughal and Rajput royalty of yore, Gota-Patti is unique for its colour and technical complexity. As part of a bride's castle, an authentic piece of gota could easily become an heirloom.
