With diverse range of technique and tradition, the Rajasthani textile industry is quite rich and colorful just like the state itself. There are several textiles works thriving in the Rajasthan and bringing famr for the state with their visual and factual appeal. Hundreds of craftsmen in the textile industry of Rajasthan are inheriting art and craft skills from their ancestors and pursuing it diligently for survival of such art form. One such art form is tie and dye textile work of Rajasthan.
Known as ‘Bandhani’ in Rajasthan, the tie and dye craft of the state is very popular and famous; it is one of those old traditions of the state that are still in practice. The term Bandhani is a word derived from Sanskrit word ‘bandh ‘which means to tie, thus this craft involves tying of the fabric and then dying it with vegetable colors. Involving traditional Indian techniques, the entire process of tie and dye is completed using hands and there are no machines involved as such.
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Origin & History
As old as 5000 years, the crafts exist since the time our ancestors realized that dyes can be extracted from plants and flowers and used to create colorful fabrics. The earliest evidence of Bandhani dates back to 4000 BC that is during Indus valley Civilization. The Bandhani dots are also found in the 6th century paintings found in Ajanta Caves, depicting the life of Buddha.
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About the craft
Tie and dye is a very skilled process. The technique involves tying the fabric tightly from various points and dipping it in vegetable dyes; the threads are later untied leaving the tied part uncolored producing brightly colored fabrics with several patterns. The fabric used are usually cotton, chiffon, satin, georgette and silk and dyed with only naturals colors majorly Red, Yellow, Green, Pink, Purple and Blue. In Rajasthan there is plentiful production of this fabric whose fame has reached worldwide.
The tie and dye work involves various patterns and designs and Lehriya and Bandhani are the most popular and also most common ones. The Lehriya pattern in tie and dye shows patterns like waves and ripples which run diagonally on the fabric. Usually done using 2 colors, which occupy alternate waves, Lehriya is basically done on sarees and turbans that look completely fascinating. Earlier only two colors that is red and yellow were used in Lehriya but now you can find multi-colored Lehriya in trend to makes varied materials like odhnis, sarees, turbans, dress materials and more.
Another pattern that is much known is Bandhani or ‘Bandhej’. In this type of tie and dye form, the patterns that come out majorly are either floral or geometric. The patterns thus formed in Bandhani are Chandrakala, Bavan Baug, Shikari etcetera; depending on the manner in which the cloth is tied.
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Centres of Tie and dye in Rajasthan
The best places in Rajasthan to witness and purchase this wonderful craft material is Jodhpur and Sikar. Other places like Jaipur, Udaipur, Pali and Barmer are treading the same path in the field of tie and dye. The local people are very fond of these prints and wear sarees, odhnis and turbans of bandhej and Lehriya during frstivals and weddings. Lehriya is particularly worn in the hindu month of ‘Shravan’ and during the ‘Teej Festival’ by the women folk as part of tradition.
These attractive fabrics even allure the tourist and are quite fascinating for them. Tourists visiting the state make a point to buy these vibrant fabrics as souvenir of their visit to Rajasthan.
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