Textile Crafts of Gujarat - A Rich Cultural Heritage

                                                                                         

Introduction

The state of Gujarat in India, popularly known as the ‘Manchester Of the East’, has a rich heritage of textile crafts. The arid region of Kutchh is the richest in the state in terms of cultural heritage. However, there are several other parts of the state which specialize in some form of textile craft or the other. In this article, we have outlined some of the traditional textile crafts of this beautiful state and have attempted to analyze the scope of these crafts.

Bandhni

The craft of ‘Tie & Dye’, typically known as ‘Bandhni’ or ‘Bandhej’ in Gujarat is practiced in several areas of the state. The term ‘Bandhni’ is derived from the Hindi word ‘Bandhan’, this means ‘tying’. Bandhni from Jamnagar, Anjar and Bhuj are particularly renowned. The Bandhnis from these areas differ from those of other regions in terms of designs and craftsmanship. In Jamnagar, Bandhni work is done on a special type of silky material. Initially, Bandhni work was done only on sarees. Later on, Bandhni salwar kameezes began to be produced. Nowadays, there are many items available in Bandhni, ranging from blouses and scarves to bedsheets and ties. Usually, Bandhni is done in bright colors such as red, green and black. Handmade colors were used earlier; but the scenario has changed now. The traditional patterns used in Bandhnis are dots, squares, waves and stripes. Bandhni is generally done on cotton, silk or satin material. The communities of Muslim Khatris in Kutchh have been doing Bandhni work since generations.

Gujarati sarees

There are different types of sarees that Gujarat is famous for. One of them is the ‘Gharchola’, which is woven with silk and zari threads. Bandhni work is then done on them or they are block-printed. Gharcholas are traditionally used as wedding sarees. The saree is divided into squares by white bandhni dots or stripes of zari. The number of squares are usually in multiples of 9, 12 or 52. Motifs like elephants, parrots, flowers and dancing girls are generally found in each compartment.

The ‘Patola’ saree produced in Patan, North Gujarat, is another type of saree that is well known. These sarees are handwoven and involve traditional patterns such as leaves, flowers, parrots and dancing girls. Patolas are generally produced in the red color with white, dark green and yellow patterns. Patola sarees are also considered to be wedding sarees. Simple traditional looms are used for weaving and natural dyes made from vegetable extracts and other natural colors are made use of. These colors are fast and do not fade easily. In fact, there is a Gujarati saying “The Patola will tear, but the color will not fade.”

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