Shantipur Tant / Cotton Sarees

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 fabrics sold throughout the country. Through government support for Indian handicrafts and arts, the weaving community slowly grew and thrived. Saris and finely woven feather-touch textiles are still being produced in the same traditional method today. One can find the patterns and colors found in ancient times still reflected in the garments produced in the vast textile belt of Shantipur, Phulia, Samudragarh, Dhatrigram and Ambika Kalna. Each center produces superb fabrics in its own variation of the Shantipuri style of weaving. Shantipur is especially known for super-fine-weave dhotis and jacquards. These textiles are marketed through co-operatives and various commercial undertakings.

Most of the people in the Sutragarh area of Shantipur are engaged in textile trade.  There is a weaving cloth market's here.  This market's is held two days a week on Sunday and Thursday from 4 am to 2 pm. People from nearby villages come to this market's to do business. From here the weaving cloth goes to different parts of the country and is also exported abroad. Weaving sari is also available at Station clothes market, Bara Bazar, various clothing stores in Shantipur and various sari shops in Phulia. 

Today, the cotton saris from Shantipur and Fulia together are world-renowned as the famous Bengal Tant saris.

Geographically, Bengal is known for producing best quality of cotton sarees due to its proximity to rivers and cotton grown in the region.
 It is said that the cotton that grows in Bengal region has been tried to be harvested in other parts of India, with very little luck. Thanks to the abundant diverse minerals in the soil and rivers in this region.

Tant saris owe their popularity to the hot and humid weather of coastal Bengal where it they provide comfort to the wearer by virtue of its their lightweight nature, making it handy for every occasion.

Tant saree is a traditional Indian saree and usually used by Bengali women. It is traditionally made by the weavers from all over West Bengal and Bangladesh but typically few places like Murshidabad, Nadia, Hooghly of West Bengal are famous for Tant saree weaving. The weaving methods used for making these saris are traditional and the outcome is a light and colorful sari that is popular all over.  Tant saree are woven from cotton threads and distinguished by its lightness and transparency. It is considered to be the most comfortable saree for the Indian hot and humid climate. Weaving of Tant saree is famous and an age-old crafting of West Bengal and Bangladesh. The craftsmen deftly weave the cotton to thread which is woven to Tant saree. Two shuttles are used for this purpose. Different motifs including floral element, solar element and recently even modern art are depicted in this saree. Tant Saree comes with colorful design and borders are made thicker because it is subjected to tear easily.

Over the years, through cultural and artistic intercourse, the Fulia weavers integrated their craft with the Shantipur style and developed their own version of the original Dhakai Jamdani, called the ‘Fulia Tangail’. 

Every Tant saree is characterized by the design on its border, pallav and body. These designs are drawn by an artist and transcribed onto soft cardboards by perforating them which are then suspended from the loom. Now all is in place for the weaving to begin. The simplest of Tant sarees take about 10-12 hours to weave. More intricate designs could even take 5-6 days to complete a saree.