Bandhani: Between the dots & the circles

Kavita Kanan Chandra

An array of dyed fabric in solid colours of red, green, blue and purple hangs on the clothesline to dry. The parallel ropes stretch across the terrace of a workshop. The fabrics swaying in the evening breeze look attractive with the bandhani pattern of dots and circles in tie and dye forming abstract, floral or animal figure. The highly skilled process of bandhani is akin to art and no wonder as one travels across Gujarat, women and men donning dresses and headgear in bandhani draw both attention and admiration. 

Jetpur in Kathiawar peninsula of Gujarat is one of the largest centres of block printing, screen printing and yarn-dyeing in the country. But it is the bandhani that draws us here today.

We are headed to a workshop on Ladi road that gives the feel of an art fair as the shops display bandhani on their walls and doorways, spilling on to the street. Wadhwan and Jamnagar are other two towns in Saurashtra (or Kathiawar peninsula) popular for bandhani. Outside Saurashtra, it is the semi-arid Kutch that has a thriving cottage industry of this traditional craft. Bhuj, Mundra and Mandvi are the towns to go for bandhani. The only other state in India known for this craft is Rajasthan. 

It was the Khatri community from Sindh that introduced bandhani to Gujarat. They came to Gujarat after Partition and are now engaged in the dyeing industry. They have developed and propagated this craft for the last 500 years, making bandhani not just a textile art but an integral part of the cultural heritage of Gujarat.

No auspicious occasion in the state is complete without bandhani. Every Gujarati bride’s trousseau consists of the bright red and white/ivory silk Panetar sarees. Embellished in golden with green touch sometimes, the saree in silk has bandhani tie and dye pattern as well as rich embroidery. The graceful gharchola sarees in radiant red are a speciality of Jamnagar, a must in a bridal trousseau, usually given by the mother-in-law. The process here is bandhani too, but has a distinct grid pattern. Traditionally made in handloom cotton from South, a fabric with the sheen of silk known as Gaji silk has become the most popular fabric for gharchola sarees in the recent time.

Traditionally, cotton is the best fabric for bandhani, but increasingly different material such as silk, crepe, georgette, chiffon, satin and super net are trending among the fashion-conscious.

The term bandhavun in Gujarati is derived from the Sanskrit word bandhan that means tying. People engaged in the process of tie-dying are referred to as Bandhej.

To tie the knots on a fabric is in itself a very intricate and time-consuming process which is done by women. They use nakhlo (blunt metal ring) to pull out the cloth, fabric is pinched together at select points as per the pattern and knots are tied together with a thread. A piece of cloth can have thousands of tiny knots called bheendi; these are dyed in natural or artificial colurs. The threads are then removed, revealing a pattern according to the knots tied. It could be leheriya (wavy stripes pattern), its extension mothra, ekdali (circular patterns with a burst of colours) or shikari (traditional all-time popular designs in dots). The main colours used in bandhani are yellow, red, blue, green and black. The different colours also symbolise the occasions when they could be worn. 

The pattern is also known by the number of knots in a design, like ekdali (one knot), trikunti (three knots), chaubandi (four knots), boond (small dot in dark colour) or kodi (like a tear) among others.

In Gujarat, the fabric for bandhani is procured from places like Mumbai, Bhagalpur, Ahmedabad, Surat and South India. Mukesh Thaurani in Jetpur tells us that most cotton fabric is procured from Bhiwandi in Maharashtra. Following him through dingy lanes and up a steep staircase, we land at his workshop where batik process of wax-resist dyeing is in progress. The bandhani fabric is already done drying. We make our way to the workshop of Jayesh Dhandha, who is busy taking notes of the day’s work. His is one among the several micro units and small units around Jetpur.

He says that there are around 2,000  people engaged in bandhej industry in Jetpur. Lying on the floor of his workshop that looks like a huge shed are bundles of white  fabric with bandhan. Elsewhere, freshly dyed fabric is hanging from ropes dripping with coloured water. A man is colouring some fabric in large vats. The smell of dye is everywhere. Outside, heaps of neatly folded bandhani is ready for dispatch.

From there we move on to a retail outlet in Jetpur. Dinesh Khatri of Kuwar selection displays varieties of bandhanis. He further throws insight into the craft that his ancestors spread. He says he is happy to be carrying forward the tradition of his community. We are also happy having bought bags full of sarees and dupattas that will add a dash of colour to our wardrobe.