A khombi shawl is worn by brides of the Khatri and Muslim communities in Gujarat. It is made using the bandhani technique and is traditionally red and black with white dotted patterns. Bandhani is derived from the word ‘bandh’ which means ‘to tie’. It is a tie-dyeing technique used to make patterned fabrics which are identified by light circular or square-shaped repeating motifs on a dark background. In Kachchh, the craft is mainly practised by the Khatri community.
There are three main stages in the making of bandhani textiles; transfer of design on the fabric, tying the knots, and dyeing the fabric to reveal the patterns. The type of fabric, colours, and the motifs used in bandhani textiles have symbolic value depending on the community and the occasion of use. Bandhani is widely worn across India both in everyday clothing and on special occasions.
The patterns in bandhani textiles are most often symmetrical. The craftspeople fold the fabric into halves or quarters before transferring the design onto it, allowing the pattern to be mirrored and repeated across the sections. Traditionally, blocks were used to print the designs, but craftspeople now use stencils made of farma paper, a type of laminated paper. Based on the design patterns, small sections in the form of dots are pinched and tied with a thread. This tied fabric is then dyed and left to dry in the sun. The tied portions resist the dye from adhering to the fabric. Once the threads are untied, small dots of colour surrounded by lighter undyed rings are revealed. This process may be repeated multiple times for each colour included in the pattern, starting with the lightest shade. Eventually, patterns are formed out of the small circles where the fabric was tied.
These two textiles are identical in design and show intermediate stages of the tie and dye process. Above shows the tied knots before being dyed and the other image below shows it after being dyed red with madder.
These pieces were recently acquired from SIDR Craft in Kachchh. SIDR Craft was founded in 1992 by brothers Abduljabbar Khatri and Abdullah Khatri with the aim of reviving the lost high-quality Bandhani craft technique. Today, this craft organisation includes an in-studio dyeing team and over 300 women artisans from villages across Kachchh.
Increased demand and production have led to diversification in the craft of bandhani. Different fabrics such as cotton, silk, muslin, chiffon, georgette or voile are used. Whilst sarees and veils were traditionally made, the type of garments have expanded to include dresses, tunics, and stoles. Red and black are traditional colours but a wider range of colours are now being achieved with the use of natural dyes derived from madder, indigo, lac, onion peel, pomegranate peel and many more.
Crafts constitute India’s second largest economic generator. In Kachchh, India’s largest district, in the western state of Gujarat, craft runs parallel with agriculture as the primary economic source. Kachchh is home to 21 types of textile and non-textile craft traditions. In 2001 a massive earthquake shook the region, resulting in a significant loss of life and widespread destruction including extensive impact on craft livelihoods. This, combined with changing lifestyles, availability of resources, and environmental threats due to climate change, posed an enormous threat to the crafts of the region. Yet the resilience of local communities and the support of several government and non-government initiatives have helped the craft communities of Kachchh keep their crafts alive.
Our latest exhibition, Continuing Traditions, showcases three textile craft traditions that continue to be practised and celebrated in Kutch: embroideries, roghan painting, and bandhani.