The early history of Gujarat has been famous for its rare indigenous arts which slipped into the background for sometime for want of patronage with the growth of mechanisation but for sheer beauty and delicacy, they are exquisite and thus they constitute a rich heritage of India's glorious past. Among these indigenous arts may be mentioned the art of "bandhani" of Jamnagar and the Patola industry of Patan.

Among most spectacular variety of dyed fabrics from India, Patolas from Gujarat considered to be one of the most amazingly beautiful saris that have been produced anywhere in the world. It was this cloth which was taken by Indian merchants of Java and Bali in the middle where it was honoured as a special bridal garment on account of its exquisite floral designs and beauty. Patola is seen in its best in the silk wedding sari of the women of Kathiawad. The fabric is woven with warp and weft that have been separately dyed by a special colouring process known as "Bandhana" or knot tying and dyeing. After silk warp has been dyed in the lightest colour, the dye keeping in mind the designs to be produced, draws across it some lines in pencil at measured distances.

The marked spaces are tied tightly with waxed cotton thread through which the dye does not penetrate. The design is already pre-planned and accordingly the design is further dyed with the second colour. This process is repeated and continued till the darkest shade is reached.

The weft is also treated in the same manner. Then the threads are stretched and arranged on the loom by the weaver and woven into artistic patterns of elephants, peacock, parrots, flowering shrubs in red, white or yellow on a background of dark blue-green.

The Potola colour designs are rich and yet soft and are so finely mingled that they seem to flow into one another. The triumph of Patola craftsmen lines in the harmony of colours in the simplicity and treatment of the decorative details.

Patolas from Surat, Andhra and Orissa are also most colourful and ostentatious weave and figured body with subtle merging of colours also done in cotton. This sari has elaborate but entirely different style of weaving. This is a wedding sari of Gujarat.