Bandhani Cotton Sarees
Bandhani is not merely a fabric but it’s a canvas of anonymous tales soaked in many colors and ensuring that the wearer is wrapped in the warmth of native emotions. The word is derived from the Sanskrit word Banda which means “to tie”. Bandhani is truly an art that involves dyeing a fabric tied tightly with a thread at several points, producing a variety of patterns in Bandhani cotton sarees, silk sarees, dupattas and suit pieces.
Bandhej is the oldest form of tie and dye art which began about 5000 years ago. The first Bandhani saree was worn at the time of Bana Bhatt`s Harshacharita in a royal marriage. One of its earliest visual representations is available in the Ajanta caves. Khatri community of Gujarat Bandhani work in India. Places in Rajasthan like Jaipur, Sikar, Bhilwara, Udaipur, Bikaner, Ajmer, and Jamnagar in Gujarat are well-known centers. It is an ancient form of art that is still in practice.
The art of Bandhani is as exciting as its history. The fabric to be dyed is tied very tightly at different points in knots and then dyed with extraordinary colors. When this tied cloth goes for dyeing, these threads or knots don’t let that part catch color and allows it to stay white or whatever color the cloth has. Once the cloth is dyed, it is left for drying in open air.