B andhan I

A Tale Tied in Colours

 EDITORIAL TEAM
Pratyunsha Dongre
Anoushka Bhatia
(Fashion Communication Batch 2017-21)

EDITORIAL SUPPORT
Principal: Dr. M. Hundekar
Course Co-ordinator: Mr. Sudhakar Jadhav

DISCLAIMER
The information and media used in this document have been used for educational
purpose only .
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Acknowledgement
The completion of the book could not have been
possible without the participaion and assistance of so
many people whose name may not all be enumerated.
Their contributions are sincerely appreciated and
acknowledged. However we would like to express a
deep appreciation particularly to the following:

Mr Aarif Arul Khatri

Artisan Bandhani, Muskan Nagar
Bhuj

Hiralaxmi memorial craft park

Bhujodi

Dr. M. Hundekar
Principal, SOFT

Mr. Sudhakar Jadhav

Course co-ordinator, SOFT

For their endless support and understanding spirit during

this venture.

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05 A CKNOWLEDGEMENT
09 INTRODUCTION

55 REFERENCES

1 ARCHIVE
A N C IEN T T I MES
T HE O RI GI N SOF BAN DH AN I
W H O ARE T H E KH AT R I S?

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BASICS
MA KI N G OF BAN DH AN I
MOT I F S
DY ES

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LOCALE
3
ARTI S A N S B A N DHA N I
B HU J

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introduction
Bandhani, also known as Bandhej, is a type of tie and dye
textile which is adorned by plucking the cloth into many
bindings, that form a design. The word Bandhani is derived
from a Sanskrit word ‘Banda’ which means ‘to tie’. The art of
Bandhani involves dyeing the fabric which is tightly tied with
a thread at several places to produce di0fferent patterns.
It is renowned for its extremely fine dots and sophisticated
sense of composition.

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Ancient
Times

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 Bandhani is the oldest form of tie and dye. Bandhani
dates back to the Bandhani 12th century, and came to
Kutch when members of the Khatri community migrated
from Sindh. Bandhani tie and dye became a staple local
source of income with the export of bandhani
bandannas to Europe via the English East India Company
in the 18th century.

“ Many years ago, a holy man went to a khatri’s house, and as the story
goes, the sadhu was doing his meditation (jap) and knots formed on the
cloth that was meant to be dyed. The cloth was dyed just the way it was,
and when the knots were opened, the pattern that emerged was beautiful,
so the khatris paid attention to the way it was formed and then continued
working on it. This was later known as bandhani. ”
- Aziz Khatri, Nakhatrana

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 The earliest example of the most pervasive type of Bandhani
dots can be seen in the 6th century paintings depicting the life
of Buddha found on the wall of Cave I at Ajanta.This art finds
its mentions in the Alexander the great time texts about the
beautiful printed cottons of India. As per evidences in Historical
Texts, the first Bandhani saree was worn at the time of Bana
Bhatt`s Harshacharita in a royal marriage. It was believed that
wearing a Bandhani saree can bring good future to a bride.
Ajanta walls stand for the evidences of these Bandhani sarees.

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The Origin
of
Bandhani

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 Sindh and Rajasthan
The Sind region is believed to be the origin of the
Khatri community, bandhani’s major practitioners
in India. Jamnagar, a city known for its
particularly bright red dyes and bustling bandhani
business was founded in 1540 by Jadeja Rajputs
from Sind. Kachchh is the main center for
intricate and sophisticated design work and rich
colours that are in high demand by businessmen
in Jamnagar, Ahmedabad, Mumbai and other
parts of India.

In Rajasthan, bandhani is an important part of

one’s identity. Bandhani chunaris (cloth worn
over the head and shoulders by women)
symbolize womanhood and marriage and the
cotton red and yellow odhanis known as piliya
(pila= yellow) are worn by young mothers.

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who are
the
khatris?

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 The word Khatri is derived from the term Kshatri, as the Khatri
community is believed to have originated from Brahma Kshatris,
many of whom settled in Gujarat, Rajasthan, Punjab and other
parts of India. Traditionally, Khatris have been weavers, dyers and
printers, while the women have always been involved with the
tying of bandhani. All
Khatri women are taught the art of tying before they are married,
as it is a matter of community pride and tradition.

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Making of
Bandhani

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Step 1: Preparation of
the fabric
The plain white fabric is purchased, cut to size, and checked for
impurities before it is washed for improved dye absorption. The
fabric is then folded into two or more layers and lightly stitched
along the edges to keep the layers together for printing.

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Step 2: Printing
The folded fabric is laid flat on a table for the design printing.
Traditionally, wooden blocks dipped in “geru” (red oxide mixed
with water) were used to print the design, but now, plastic farma
paper is used. Motifs are first hand drawn on the paper, pricked
with a needle so the design transfers in small dots, and when the
paper is placed on the fabric, a mixture of dye and water is rubbed
over the plastic so the design transfers directly onto the cloth.

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Step 3: Tying
Next, the cloth is given to the “bandhanaras” or tying artists,
who raises and pinches the fabric in the marked designs using
a pointed small fingernail or metal ring with a pointed tip. Then
the tie the fabric into tight knots using a continuous cotton
thread that fully covers the raised portion. The thread is
usually run through a metal, ivory, plastic or millet stem bobbin
so that it runs smoothly and evenly while tying. The thumb and
forefinger of the right hand lead the thread while the left hand
thumb presses the material together.

The number of ties per cloth can range from a few to many
thousands, and can take a few days to many months
depending on the design and garment. One kadi is equal to
four dots, and highly skilled artisans could tie up to 2000 dots
in one day while part time workers average 400-500 dots a
day. There are two types of tying: Sarkam, which is tying on
the marked designs, and Bharti, which is filling in the empty
spaces. The thread used for tying depends on the
material as the finer the fabric, the smaller the ties and count
of the thread.
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Step 4: Dyeing
Once the tying is completed, the cloth is washed in a hot water
solution to clean the cloth. For dyeing, the fabric is typically
immersed in the dye solution for 5-7 minutes but it varies on the
type of dye, colours used, and preferred darkness of the fabric.
The dyer always starts with the lightest colour (usually yellow),
sends the fabric to be tied again if needed, and repeats the
process until all the desired colours have been added. The tied,
reserve areas retain the original ground colour(s).

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Step 5: Washing
After dyeing, the cloth is washed gently with soft water to
remove any extra dye or impurities.

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Step 6: Drying &
Hitching
The cloth is then left to dry for several hours before it is ready
to be sold. The tied cloth is stored without removing the ties.
The tied fabric is stored without removing the ties so that
the customer can be sure of its authenticity and can watch
the design unfold for the first time. This process is known
as “hitching’’ and is done when two ends of the material are
pulled crosswise tightly, loosening and opening the ties to
reveal the colours and patterns in the fabric.

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Motifs

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 It is observed that motifs in form of mainly
abstract and geometrical, natural and somewhat
in stylized way are processed. The main motifs
preferred by Bandhani designers were animal
(elephant) or birds- pea-cock, parrot, floral motifs,
humane figure- dancing girls, various geometrical
motifs – square, circle, rectangle, diamond,
vertical, horizontal, zig -zag and diagonal were also
on trends.

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dyes

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For making any colour, they use below listed materials. This
combination can colour around 40 pieces of cloth:
Colour - 350 gm
Alum - 350 gm.
Sodium- 175 gm
Powder - 50 gm
Sulphate Sodium - 50 gm
Water - until it mixture become paste
Acid - 150 gm

Bandhani products have their own specific meanings in

different communities in India. However, each color has its
own significance.

RED, which is a symbol of marriage, is believed to give a

good future and fortune to a newly wed bride.

SAFFRON is the color of a yogi.

YELLOW symbolizes spring and joy.

BLACK AND MAROON are the colors of mourning.

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 Artisans
Bandhani
About
Traditional tie-dye (bandhani) maker from kutch. Gujarat india.

Company overview
We are traditional artisan of bandhani(tie-dye). Approximetly
300+ artisans of same crafts work with us to craft time consuming
products of tie-dye.

Founding date
1999

Products
Sarees, dupatta, stole, scarves, all crafted with exclusive
traditional tie-dye designs

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bhuj

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Geography
Bhuj has an average elevation of 110 metres (360 feet). On
the eastern side of the city is a hill known as Bhujia Hill, on
which there is a Bhujia Fort, that separates Bhuj city and
Madhapar town ( considered one of the richest villages in
Asia ).
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Climate
The climate in Bhuj is called a desert climate. During the year,
there is virtually no rainfall.The average annual temperature in
Bhuj is 26.3 °C. Apart from the cool mornings of the “winter”
season from December to February, temperatures are very
warm to sweltering throughout the year.

Demographics
In 2011 the of Bhuj was 213,514, which consisted of 111,146
males and 102,368 females.

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References
www.natgeotraveller.in/across-the-salt-desert-exploring-colourful-
bhuj/
en.wikipedia.org
exhibitions-khamir.org
www.chemijournal.com/archives/2019/vol7issue2/PartC/7-2-29-499.pdf
Documentation-Of-The-Motifs-Used-In-Tie-And-Dye-Of-Rajasthan-
Bandhani.pdf (ResearchGate)
dsource.in/sites/default/files/resource/process-bandhani/downloads/
file/process-of-bandhini.pdf
www.facebook.com/pg/artisanbandhani/about/?ref=page_internal

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