Bandhani or bandhej is one of the most popular, highly skilled, and adorned Indian textile arts. To say nothing of these colorful fabrics, flecked with tiny white-colored square dots, arranged in different patterns are evocative of Gujarati textile art.
The centuries-old craft has retained its immense popularity over the years and has seen a comeback in the form of contemporary Indian wear. Today, most Bandhani-making centers are indigenous to Gujarat, Rajasthan, Sindh, Punjab region, and Tamil Nadu where is famous as Sungudi.
Origin
The term bandhani is derived from the Sanskrit verbal root “bandh” meaning “to tie”. Although bandhani is popular among many people across India, you will find its deep roots in Gujarati culture.
History
The earliest evidence of Bandhani dates back to Indus Valley Civilization. It suggests that dyeing had done as early as 4000 B.C. The earliest example of this art is in the 6th-century paintings depicting the life of Buddha found on the wall of Cave I at Ajanta.
Bandhani at the cave I of Ajanta
This art finds its mentions in the Alexander the great time texts about the beautiful printed cotton of India. There is mention of the use of bandhani saree first time as a part of the royal marriage in Bānabhatta’s Harshacharita back in the 7th century AD too.
Bandhani came to Kachchh when members of the Khatri community migrated from Sindh. It became a source of income with the export of bandannas to Europe via the English East India Company in the 18th century. Much like the local block printers, bandhani artisans used local, natural resources like madder and pomegranate to dye their cloth in a brilliant range of hues.
PC- khamir.org
The dyers have experimented with the use of different elements both natural and man-made for ages. Also, there are experiments with different binding/tying techniques to create patterns on cloth immersed in containers of dye.
Characteristics
Bandhani makes use of every color under the rainbow. Though the predominant colors used are red, yellow, blue, green, and black. As it is a tie and dye process by hand hence best colors and combinations are possible in Bandhanis.
Bandhani tying is often a family trade, and the women of these families work at home to tie patterns. Pethapur, Mandavi, Bhuj, Anjar, Jetpur, Jamnagar, as well as Rajkot, are some of the main bandhani-making towns in Gujarat.
A cluster of women engaged in bandhani making
The city of Bhuj in Gujarat is world-famous for its beautiful red Bandhani indeed. The dyeing process of Bandhani is carried out extensively in this city, as the water of this area is known to give a particular brightness to colors, specifically reds, and maroons.
As with other Indian textiles, in Bandhani too different colors convey different meanings. People believe that red is an auspicious color for brides but also wearing a Bandhani saree can bring a good future to a bride.
Process
The process of making a bandhani is not very tough but is very time-consuming. It is a method of tieing pinch-size portions of fabrics by plucking the cloth with the fingernails into many tiny bindings that form an intricate pattern of dots. But in some places of Rajasthan, craftsmen wear a metal ring with a pointy nail to help to pluck the cloth easily.
Tying the knots
Afterward, dyeing that fabric in multiple stages occurs to impart beautiful colors. These pinches are then opened leaving white blocks to stand out on bright colored cloths, adding a texture to the fabric which can be both welcomed and perceived. A thing to keep in mind while undoing the knots or pinches is to open it in a criss-cross manner. This prevents the fabric from tearing.
Dyeing of Bandhani
Naphthol and vat colors which are sun-fast and fit for washing with detergents are more preferable these days. Silks are generally dyed in acid colors which are now readily available in India as most of the dyes are now being manufactured here. Although readily available across various cities in Gujarat, the usage of natural and artificial colors may vary geographically.
Drying and hitching
The ties of the folded Bandhani textile remain closed till their sale or at the most opened at one corner to show the color scheme. For the opening, you just have to pull the material crosswise forcibly so that all the ties open up simultaneously.
Types of Bandhani
The Bandhani work has been exclusively carried out by the Khatri community of Kutchh and Saurashtra. Usage of natural colors is common in Kutch. A meter length of cloth can have thousands of tiny knots known as ‘Bheendi’ in the local language. Establishments of varying sizes in the entire Kutch belt in Gujarat produce many varieties. Traditionally, the final products can be classified into ‘khombhi’, ‘Ghar Chola’, ‘Chandrakhani’, ‘Shikari’, ‘Chowkidaar’, ‘Ambadaal’ and other categories.
The city of Bhuj in Gujarat is world-famous for its red Bandhani. The dyeing process of Bandhani is carried out extensively in this city, as the water of this area is known to give a particular brightness to colors, specifically reds, and maroons.
Rajasthan who also engaged with bandhani work uses different colors and techniques than the Kutch and Saurashtra regions of Gujarat.
The finest bandhani work of Rajasthan comes from Bikaner, Jaipur, Jodhpur, Barmer, Pali, Udaipur, and Nathdwara. Rajasthan is famous for its leheriya pattern – literally meaning waves. These are nothing but harmoniously diagonal stripes. Leheriya consists of a complex method of rolling, folding, and re-rolling the fabric to create waves.
Global Impact
Born in Gujarati districts of Kutch, Jamnagar, Surendranagar, and Anand, bandhani or bandhej is crossing fashion barriers and entering a global market, credit to its simple, subtle, and interesting designs.
The bright colors and lightness of the fabric make leheriya a great fit for the global stage. It is a popular fabric in the export market too and has been showcased in fashion shows worldwide.
In changes today, designers are using Bandhani fabric for contemporary clothing to represent India in the international circuit.
Revival and exhibition
One of the dedicated individuals working to bring change and reviving this age-old craftwork by empowering artisans is Judy Frater. She is the Founder Director of Somaiya Kala Vidya, an institute of education for artisans.
Shubhika Davda of Papa doesn’t Preach reimagined Bandhani with her “Not Just A Girl Dress” under the Notting Hill 2019 collection. The outfit consists of pearls, evil eye beads, and a gold coin high waist embellished neon pink leheriya skirt with a bralette and an OTT bow bringing up the back. Naina Jain explores fusion with traditional Bandhani, amalgamating it with Chikankari, Meenakari, Banarasi Brocade, and Organza.
These tie and dye motifs will never go out of fashion. From draping the newlywed bride to becoming a constant companion as a chunri or odhani, these myriad Bandhini patterns run skin deep till they get absorbed by the soul.
References
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bandhani
https://www.vogue.in/fashion/content/designer-naina-jain-talks-about-the-labour-intensive-craft-of-bandhini
https://gaatha.com/tying-a-knot-to-tradition/
https://www.unnatisilks.com/tie-n-dye-unnati-indian-crafts.html”>Tie & Dye -Unnati Silks
