Dhakai Jamdani ~ Pride of Bengal


The saree that I swear by is Dhakai Jamdani. The first one that I ever owned was gifted to me by my mother-in-law. Since then I have been a fan of this particular weave and today I proudly own atleast 12 of them. 

The word ‘jamdani’ is believed to be of Persian origin, derived from 'Jam' (meaning flower) and 'Dani' (meaning vase). While there is some mention of this term in the literature from the 3rd century BC (in Kautilya’s ‘Arthasharshtra’) and during the Gupta period (4th – 6th century AD), it is during the Mughal rule (16th - 18th centuries) that the weavers of Dhaka (in present day Bangladesh) who had been weaving this fabric for centuries, received extensive royal patronage. The finest varieties of muslin fabric were produced during this period with fabulous floral and figured motifs. This was the golden age of dhakai muslin when the skill of weaving rose to an art par excellence. With the decline of the Mughal dynasty and the subsequent British conquest of India, the trade continued to flourish for a while and enormous quantities of jamdani muslin were exported to Europe. However, by the nineteenth century, cheaper industrially manufactured yarn from Britain were being imported into India which eventually led to the collapse of the jamdani weaving industry in Bengal.
Yet, the jamdani weaving tradition has survived into modern times, adapting to changing tastes and trends. After the partition of Bengal in 1947, many Hindu weavers from Bangladesh migrated to India and were rehabilitated in West Bengal. This was the start of jamdani weaving in present day India. Over the last few decades, the art of jamdani weaving has witnessed a revival due to support from the governments and non-government organizations in both India and Bangladesh.

 An early reference to Indian origins of muslin is found in the book of Periplus of the Erythraean Sea and in the accounts of Arab, Chinese and Italian travelers and traders.Jamdani weaving is an extremely skillful, laborious and time-consuming process and it could take anywhere from a month to a year to complete a saree. 

Types of Jamdani

Jamdani sarees can be classified based on the type of motifs or the region where they are produced.
Popular motifs include panna hajar (thousand emeralds), kalka (paisley), butidar (small flowers), fulwar (flowers arranged in straight rows), tersa (diagonal patterns), jalar (motifs evenly covering the entire saree), duria (polka spots) and charkona (rectangular motifs).
Regional variations in jamdani include:
Dhakai Jamdani (Bangladesh) - These are the original and the finest of jamdani sarees with the most elaborate workmanship. One such saree could take from 9 months to a year to weave.
Tangail Jamdani (Bangladesh) – Woven in the Tangail district, these jamdani sarees have traditional broad borders featuring lotus, lamp and fish scale motifs.
Shantipur Jamdani (India) – Woven in Shantipur, West Bengal, these jamdani sarees are similar to Tangail jamdanis. They have a fine texture and often, elegant striped motifs decorate the saree.
Dhaniakhali Jamdani (India) – With its origin in Dhaniakhali, West Bengal, these jamdani sarees have tighter weave compared to the Tangail and Shantipur varieties. They are marked by bold colours and dark, contrasting borders.






Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Batik in India

Image
Batik is both an art and a craft, which is becoming more popular and well known in the West as a wonderfully creative medium. The art of decorating cloth in this way, using wax and dye, has been practised for centuries. In Java, Indonesia, batik is part of an ancient tradition, and some of the finest batik cloth in the world is still made there. The word batik originates from the Javanese  tik  and means to dot.  To make a batik, selected areas of the cloth are blocked out by brushing or drawing hot wax over them, and the cloth is then dyed. The parts covered in wax resist the dye and remain the original colour. This process of waxing and dyeing can be repeated to create more elaborate and colourful designs. After the final dyeing the wax is removed and the cloth is ready for wearing or showing.  Contemporary batik, while owing much to the past, is markedly different from the more traditional and formal styles. For example, the artist may use etching, discha...
Read more

9 famous weaves from Odisha

Image
Here’s some of the different sarees from Odisha which can never go out of fashion!  1) Bomkai from Ganjam  These are also known as  Sonepuri Silk  and are one of the popular handloom sarees of Odisha. Intricately embroidered and threaded, they are a piece of art with  ikat , and comes in both silk and cotton. 2) Patta from Berhampur Another one that’s even more renowned is the Patta sarees. Their uniqueness comprises of the typical Odissi style of weaving, crafted in temple type of designs besides having borders of beautiful  zari  work! 3) Khandua from Cuttack and Nuapatna The glossy Khandua designed sarees stand out in itself for its elaborate patterns and colors that can attract at once. Overall it’s a pleasing piece of garment styled in both contemporary and traditional ways! 4) Sambalpuri from Sambalpur, Bargarh and others While it firstly became recognised when Lt. Indira Gandhi started wearing them, neverthele...
Read more

Shantipur Tant / Cotton Sarees

Image
If you are an art aficionado, then you must visit Bengal. And while in Bengal if you are a saree aficionado you must visit Shantipur. The tant sarees of Shantipur have made the place a prominent hotspot on the handloom map of India.  After the partition of India, many weavers came from Dhaka of Bangladesh and started to reside here in Phulia region, which is a Panchayat area of Santipur. Since ancient times, Shantipur and the surrounding region has been famous for handloom saris (saree). The handloom weaving style unique to this region are famously known as Santipuri Sari (tant). After the partition of India, Bengal was split into two major regions. West Bengal became a part of India and East Bengal became East Pakistan (Bangladesh). Many skilled weavers from Dhaka, in current day Bangladesh, migrated into West Bengal and settled around the cities of Shantipur and Kalna (Ambika Kalna) of Bardhaman district. Both are traditionally renowned centers for producing hand-woven fabri...
Read more