Wishesh magazine february 2018 Wishesh magazine february 2018 | Page 18

INDIAN DIASPORA FINE ART
What is Bandhani?
18
Both the wrap and weft are tied
and dyed like that in Double lkat
or Patola Bandhani is a traditional
and most popular technique of tie
and dye. As the name suggests,
the technique of Tie and Dye
involves two stages: tying
sections of a length of cloth (silk
or cotton) and then dunking it into
vats of color with the tied sections
acquiring a different hue than
the non tied ones and forming
amazing patterns. The rainbow-
tinged turbans of the Rajputs and
the odhnis of their women are
shaded by this method of resist
dyeing.
The term “Bandhani” derives
its name from the Hindi word
Bandhan which means tying
up. Bandhani is an ancient art
practised by people mainly of
Rajasthan and Gujarat. Jaipur,
Udaipur, Bikaner,Ajmer and
Jamnagar are among the
important centers producing
odhnis, saris and turbans in
Bandhani. The wide variety
was evolved over the centuries
because of its close links with
the religious and social customs
of different people. Bandhani
work involves tying and dyeing of
pieces of cotton or silk cloth. The
main colors used in Bandhani
are yellow, red, green and
black. Bandhani work, after the
processing is over, results into
a variety of symbols including,
WWW.WISHESH.NET | FEBRUARY 2018
dots, squares, waves and strips.
The main colors used in Bandhani
are natural. In fact all colors in
Bandhani are dark, Rajasthan is
one of the most important centers
of the tie and dye textile. Each area,
each caste and each tribe has its
special designs.
Tying of the border is a special
process known as sevo bandhavo.
The border is tied according to
the desired pattern by passing
the thread from one end to the