Bandhej work of Rajasthan and Gujrat

Foundation
Bandhani is a type of tie-dye textile decorated primarily by plucking the cloth with the fingernails into many tiny bindings that form a figurative design. It is practiced mainly in states of Rajasthan, Gujarat and parts of Uttar Pradesh. The word Bandhani is derived from a Sanskrit word Banda which means “to tie”. Bandhani an art that involves dyeing a fabric tied tightly to a thread at different points, resulting a variety of  patterns.
The main colours used in Bandhani are natural. As Bandhani is a tie and dye process, dying is done by hand and hence best colours and combinations are possible in Bandhanis.
 

Background
Bandhej is the elderly form of tie & die art which started around 5000 years back. As per the historical data, the first Bandhani saree was worn at the time of Bana Bhatt`s Harshacharita in a royal marriage. One of it’s earliest visible depiction can be seen in the Ajanta caves. In India, Bandhani work was started by the Khatri fraternity of Gujarat. Places in Rajasthan like,JaipurSikar, Udaipur, Bikaner, Ajmer, and Jamnagar in Gujarat are the well known centers manufacturing odhnis,sarees and turbans in Bandhani.  It is an elderly form of art which is still in rehearsed.
 

Expertise

The art of Bandhani is as interesting as it’s past. The fabric that is dyed is tied very tightly at different points in knots and then dyed with remarkable colors. When this tied cloth goes for dyeing, these threads or knots doesn’t get rid that part catch color & allows it to stay white or whatever color the cloth has. Once the cloth is dyed, it is left for drying in open air.  Drying will take some time according to the weather conditions. In monsoon it takes about 2 days to dry while in summer it takes only 4-5 hours. In winter it takes around 6-7 hours for drying.

Style & Variety

Bandhani comes in different colors, designs & patterns and these variations are region specific. The colors that are most prominently used in Bandhani are yellow, red, green, blue and black. After the procedure is over, Bandhani work outcomes into a different kind of symbols including dots, waves, strips and squares. The patterns include Leheriya, Mothra, Ekdali and Shikari depending on the manner in which the cloth has been tied. The attires comprise Khombi, Patori, Gharchola and Chandrokhani. Bandhej work can be seen on Sarees, Kurtas, Salwar kameez, and Chaniya cholis. The designs contains Ekdali (single knot), Trikunti (three knots), Chaubandi (four knots), Dungar Shahi (mountain pattern), Boond (small dot with a dark center), Kodi (teardrop shaped) and Laddu Jalebi (Indian sweets). Different colors transmit different meanings in Bandhani.

Attire

Many wear bandhej salwaar kameej on daily purpose. Sarees with Leheriya patterns are usually worn for day functions whereas Ghatchola lehengas & sarees are worn for night occasion. Bandhej dupattas with plain white Salwar Kameez are very demanding between young girls. Working women also wear bandhej sarees for a perfect style statement, yet it looks simple.

Global Appeal

Bandhani is frankly an art and it’s a common vision to see not only women wearing outfits of Bandhej but  also the men can be found wearing turbans with Bandhej design. The main market is in Gujarat but it is very much sold all over India as the demand has increased over the last few decades. The sales increases during the wedding and festive seasons. Mostly, it is used as odhnis by the ladies on festivals.

Preservation

The influence of Bandhani is lost if ironed with a high heat setting, therefore, it is suggested to get your Bandhej costume dry-cleaned and if needed , ironed with a low heat setting.