101 Romantic Ideas

Bandhani work is a type of dyeing  practiced mainly in the states of Rajasthan and Gujarat, India. Sometimes it is also referred to as Bandhani art or Bandhani art work. The term “bandhani” derives its name from a Hindi word Bandhan which means tying up. Bandhani work involves tying and dyeing of pieces of cotton or silk cloth, The main colours used in Bandhani are natural. A meter long of cloth can have millions of tiny knots known as "Bheendi" in local language ("Kutchhi"). These knots form a design once open after dieying in bright colors.

Traditionally, the final products can be classified into "Khombi", "Ghar Chola", "Patori", "Chandrokhani" etc. In modern days Bandhani is very popular not only in ladies wears but in gents dressess too.The discovery of a dyed cotton fabric dating back to the Indus Valley civilization shows that the art of dyeing with the use of mordants was well known to the Indian dyers 5,000 years ago. This form of dyeing was responsible for making India famous all over the world for its dyed and printed fabrics. Printed fabrics have also been found in Fostat, the old Cairo City. Recent excavations of Red Sea ports have also brought out a greater range of printed textile. These date back to 800 A.D. There technique and design point to western Indian origin. Indian dyers had mastered the art of dyeing with fast colors from ancient times whereas in Europe this was unknown. Indian dyers were considered magicians by travelers, who saw them putting a white cloth into a pale liquid of indigo dye and when the cloth appeared from the dye bath it was still white. It was only when it came into contact with oxygen and it became blue. Multiple immersions and exposure to the air enriched the color. People felt this was a magical transformation. Printed fabrics were in common use throughout North India, as well as for home use. They also became important export items.In the resist technique, paste made up of different materials is used for printing areas, which are required to resist the dye. The fabric is then immersed in the dye bath. In some case, clay mixed with resin is used for printing areas, which to be protected from the dye: in others, hot wax is used. After dyeing, the fabric is washed in flowing water or in vats of hot water to melt the wax. Some of the dark color of the background material flows on to the protected area, thus creating a soft tonal effect. It is a common sight to see the printed cloth drying on the riverside. This process is also a part of the technique of fixing and developing the dyes and bleaching the white color.

The tyeing of cloth with thread and then dying it is the simplest and perhaps the oldest form of creating patterns on a plain piece of cloth. Art classes often teach this technique to the students, who delight in creating these patterned cloth. It is also the oldest forms of decorated textiles, as it was found by the great archaeologist Sir Auriel Stien in Central Asia. This form of patterning requires a mastery over dyeing.

The fabric is washed and degummed. Often it is dipped in a mordant so that it can absorb the dye. The cloth is folded, first lengthwise, than widthwise into four folds. The patterns on the body are than indicated all over the surface. With the use of blocks dipped in geru, a red mud color. The cloth is than pinched with the left hand, one knot follows another, using the same thread. After the section which are to be retained in the background color had been tied, the dying is repeated and the process of tying is cried out. The fabric is gradually dyed to the final dark color, which is either a brilliant red, purple, dark green a deep ultramarine blue or black. It is contrasting color border is to be created than the body of the saree is tied with the thick threads and then covered with a plastic sheet, which is tied firmly with thick threads. The border is then dipped in another shade. This is the traditional technique for tying and dyeing, which is followed, in all the important centers of Saurashtra and Kuch of Gujarat and also in Rajasthan.

Rajasthan, which has developed a different range of colors, has mastered another technique in which the background is in light color while the patterns are in dark colors. This done by dyeing sections of the saree in the desired color with the use of a piece of a felt and then tying. The cloth is bleached and only the tied sections retain the colors. After this is the background color is dyed and the finished bandhani emerges, with dark colored doted pattern on a light background. The red chundari, which is used as a veil by young married women in rural areas, is never dyed in fast colors bandhanis.

Kutch produces the finest bandhanis in India. Mandvi and Bhuj are important bandhani producing centers. The Khatri community of dyers are known for their fine quality of work. They control the trade and the craft, purchasing and processing the material themselves. The dress of the Khatri women, the aba, a long chemise, carries the finest bandhani. It is tied and dyed at the neck, the side openings, the lover border and the sleeves. The end of the salwar and matching ordhnis are also worked with tie and die designs. The finest work is done on the wedding dress, which is enriched, with silver and gold thread embroidery.

The gharchola, a saree traditionally made for the wedding and which is brought by the bridegroom, had a check in gold thread, with a small motif of a lotus or a peacock worked in gold in the center. It carries tie and dye patterns within the square. The famous gharchola of Jamnagar, which is much sought after by the Gujaratis, is tied in Kutch. The gharchola is brought to Bhuj and with help of the local khatris very fine quality tying and initial dyeing is carried out. The finial red color of the gharchola is dyed in Jamnagar, as the quality of water is supposed to have properties which produces the brilliant red preferred for the marriage ceremony. Most of the traditional patterns such as bavan bagh, fifty two gardens, Ras Leela, depiction of Krishna dancing with gopis, etc. were first made on ordhnis which are worn over skirts, but today these are being created on sarees.

Saurashtra has important bandhani centers such as Jamnagar and Rajkot. The simple tie and dye patterns worked on the ordhnis used by the different tribes are produced in a large number of centers. The Bhil wear a brilliant red ordhni with black borders and roundels. The Rathwa community also wears a similarly style ordhni, though of a thicker material. The nomadic Rabaris and Bharwads, who keep sheep and use their own wool, also have tie and dye ordhnis and skirts which are worn by married women. The main color worn by the Rabaris are black with red or maroon tie and dye worked in simple patterns. The Bhawards have more elaborate design with bordered running the length of the ordhni while the body has elaborate patterns of parrot, women and trees, as well as flowers. The color is generally a deep russet brown with the designs worked in yellow, green and orange.

Rajasthan has a number of tie and dye centers. The most famous are the Jodhpur, Jaipur and Sikar. Sikar produces some of the finest bandhanis and they produce a range of patterns, which are made for different communities in Rajasthan, Haryana and even Punjab.

Another form of tie and die, which is a speciality of Rajasthan is the lahriya and mothra. Here the opposite end of the length of the cloth are pulled and rolled together. They are tied and dyed in different colors producing diagonal multi-colored lines. When the same process is repeated by using the opposite ends, a check, mothra is created. This done only in Jaipur and Jodhpur. Recently, the dyers of Ahmedabad have started to do simple lahriya. This technique was used generally for turbans made for Rajput in Rajasthan.

Bandhani technique is worked in north Bihar to create bold patterns in single color. The same technique is also used at Madurai in Tamil Nadu for the production of Sungrdhi sarees. These are made by a group of people who originally came from Saurashtra, but later shelted in the area. It was considered essential to wear a tie and dye saree at the time of marriage