Traditional art of Jamdani weaving – The Pride of Bengal

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Namaste! The Indian subcontinent is a land of many wonders. It is a myriad of landscapes, great heritage and culture, varied wildlife and exceptional cuisine. However, in this edition of TravNama, we will introduce you to an exiciting and exotic Traditional art of Jamdani weaving, which is very popular in the subcontinent since three millenniums.



Jamdani is an art form listed in the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity of UNESCO. It is one of the most popular textile that boasts of this magical land's rich history and heritage. Popularly known as Dhakai or Dhakai Jamdani, this art of textile weaving has its deep roots in Bangladesh's capital, Dhaka. The Jamdani Sari symbolizes dignity, identity, self-recognition and provides wearers the true sense of cultural identity and social bondness. Said to be among the finest types of muslin, which is handwoven from cotton, this beautiful art flourished tremendously under the Mughal dynasty's patronage. So was the influence on this weaving form, which can be seen even in the name Jamdani. Jamdani is made using two words, "jam," which means flower, and Dani, which means "vase" in Persian. This video looks at the labour-intense process of Jamdani weaving.

Origin and History

As stated earlier, the name "Jamdani" has its origin in Persian and is a strong symbol of Mughal influence. The name suggests the beautiful floral motifs, which are adorned on these impressive sarees. Another name of this art is more local, a Bengali version, Dhakai. This name comes from the place where it all started millenniums ago, Dhaka, Bangladesh's capital. Why millenniums ago? The answer lies in the earliest references of this art of weaving sarees found in Arthashastra written by Chanakya, dating back to the 3rd century B.C! The book refers to it as some fine cloth from the "Pundra" and "Bangla" region. Notable references of Jamdani were also found in the ancient Greek logbook of "Periplus of the Erythraean Sea". Apart from this, there are several references by Arab, Chinese, and Italian travellers and traders about it. The late 19th century saw the Anglicization of traditional Indian concepts, and consequently, TN Mukharji, the curator of Indian Museum in Kolkata, referred to this fabric as Jamdani muslin.

Though Jamdani enjoyed tremendous popularity right from the beginning, this art form bloomed exponentially during the Mughal era. However, India's colonization by the British saw a decline in this fabric's production. One of the primary reasons behind the decline of Jamdani lies in the fact that Britishers heavily exported cheaper yarn from European countries in the 19th century. With the Mughals' decline in India, Jamdani producers slowly lost their most influential patrons. Villages like Jangalbadi and Madhurapur, in Bangladesh, once famous for the intricate Jamdani trade, faded into oblivion. After the independence of Bangladesh from British, many weavers migrated to present-day indian State of West Bengal, which marked the beginning of India's Jamdani art form.

The Weaving Process

The base fabric is unbleached cotton yarn, and these cotton yarns are handwoven to create a light-and-dark effect. The process is considered an extremely labour-intensive and time-consuming form of weaving because of the bountyful of motifs created directly on the loom using the discontinuous weft technique. The weft techniques used for making Jamdani involve the supplementary weft technique and the standard weft technique. With the latter, the sheer base material is made on which thicker threads are used to create designs. Whereas each of the supplementary weft motifs is manually added by combining the weft threads with fine bamboo sticks utilizing singular spools. This process resulted in a vibrant pattern that floated on a shimmering surface, making Jamdani sarees unique and beautiful.

Jamdani weaving is somewhat similar to tapestry work, where small shuttles of coloured, silver, or gold threads are passed through the weft. The design range in Jamdani starts from the "butidar," a design where the entire saree is sprinkled with floral sprays. There is another design which is a mixture of "tercha" and "jhalar." Tercha is a diagonally-striped floral sprays design, whereas Jhalar is a network of floral motifs. The most remarkable part of this form of handweaving lies in the pattern, which is not sketched or outlined on the fabric. Instead, it is drawn on translucent graph paper and placed under the warp.

Colours

Though originally made in contrasting bright colours, many Jamdani sarees are now coloured. Today, even the half and half Jamdani varieties are extremely popular. The two current favourites in the Jamdani sarees are the self-coloured style, where the work and the base fabric have the same colour. The other one is the half and half style; in this, the saree's inner and outer halves are in complementary colours. The colours and designs change with the passage of time and trends. Originally, the motifs were made on grey fabrics. However, fabrics of other colours were also used. In the 1960s, Jamdani's work on red fabric became very popular.

Motifs

The most remarkable part about the Jamdani weaving technique is that the motifs are not sketched or outlined on the fabric. Instead, they are drawn on translucent graph paper and placed underneath the warp. Though the Jamdani technique is renowned for sarees, this technique is also used in making some gorgeous handkerchiefs and scarves (long and short). The most famous motifs include Kalka (paisley), butidar (small flowers), Panna Hajar (thousand emeralds), tersa (diagonal patterns), fulwar (flowers arranged in straight rows), duria (polka spots), charkona (rectangular motifs), and jalar (motifs evenly covering the entire saree).

The Varieties of Jamdani

A Jamdani saree can be identified by the variations that a region has to offer. Dhakai Jamdani from Dhaka, Bangladesh, is the original and considered the finest sarees with the most intricate craftsmanship. To make one Dhakai Jamdani saree, it can easily take nine months to a year for a weaver. There is another variety of Jamdani, the Tangail Jamdani. This variety comes from the Tangail district in Bangladesh. Traditionally, this weaving form includes broader borders that feature fish scales, lotus, and lamp motifs.

Since many weavers relocated to India as well, therefore, Jamdani varieties are also found in Eastern India, namely in West Bengal. One of the famous Jamdani varieties found here is the Shantipur Jamdani from Shantipur, West Bengal. This form is somewhat similar to Tangail Jamdanis in Bangladesh. This form also has a fine texture, and the sarees are often adorned with sophisticated striped motifs. Another Indian variety of Jamdani is the Dhaniakhali version. This version can be seen in a remote village Dhaniakhali, located around 62 kms from Kolkata. This version has a much tighter weave than the Tangail and Shantipur varieties. These are marked by bold colours and dark, contrasting borders. The ultimate expression of aristocracy and regality, Jamdani is not just the finest muslin — it is an extremely skilful weave that takes anywhere from a month to a year to yield a finished product.

Like Jamdanis, the Indian subcontinent is home to many skilful arts and crafts. A land where every masterpiece caressed has a story to tell. So, next time while planning a trip to the Indian subcontinent, be sure to include a visit to one of these amazing weavers. At Indo Asia Tours, the itinerary is not just a travel route or a trip. We design, conceptualise and handcraft every journey for you. Our special customised itineraries and curated experiences in different destinations are what make for those memorable travel moments.