Bandhani Is An Ethnic Art Aimed To Elevate The Appeal Of The Saree

Category: Fashion

Bandhani is an ethnic application of weaving and dyeing on a saree of any fabric like cotton, silk, crepe, georgette, chiffon, satin or supernet, to aesthetically raise its appeal. Bandhani, Bandhni or Bandhej is a Tie-Dye process of weaving and dyeing. The base fabric is first tied at several points by threads and then the threads are dyed. The tying manner decides the resulting pattern, which could be Leheriya, Mothra, Ekdali or Shikari. Patterns could be dots, strips, waves or squares. Dark Colours, natural or artificial, are used for dyeing the ‘Bandhani’. Applied colours are red, green, blue, black or yellow with the background generally being red or black. The Khatri community of Kutch, Gujarat is known to excel in this art. Tying thousands of miniscule knots on the fabric, dyeing them and then opening them to spread and form exquisite designs shows their superlative skill. Bhuj and Mandvi are places in Kutch, renowned in India for their fine Bandhani art. Saurashtra, in Gujarat, is also known for its Bandhani work, different from that of the Kutch region. Neighbouring Rajasthan again has its own style of Bandhani, unique to its region. Designs and colours differ, with significance attached to certain colours. Red conveys a newly married bride, yellow conveys that the wearer has recently become a mother, are typical examples. Bandhani sarees are a huge draw domestically and has a growing number of international buyers. Bandhani Sarees are widely appreciated for the ethnic excellence and bought for their unique appeal. Designer Bandhani Saris with colourful prints and exquisite embroidery are extremely stunning. Recent fashion finds popularity with single-colour sarees or those with contrasting colours on the body and the border. Popular varieties observed are the exclusive Lehriya Bandhej sarees with Gota embroidery and patch border. These sarees find preference as daily casual, college or corporate wear. The Bandhani Crepe Silk Sari having Jaipuri prints, with tinsel printing on them and border embroidered with kundans and sequins, is a grand affair. It is but a natural preference, for weddings, bridal attire and traditional functions.