The term bandhani is derived from the Sanskrit verbal root bandh (“to bind, to tie”). Bandhani is a type of tie-dye textile printing technique, where the fabric is tied in knots and dyed with earthy colours at different stages to form figurative design.The most commonly used fabrics for Bandhani prints are cotton, silk, silk cotton, georgette and chiffon. These bandhani materials are further embellished to make Indian clothes like the Lehenga which are loved and worn by women of all generations.
Origin
Earliest evidence of Bandhani dates back to Indus Valley Civilization where thus dyeing was done as early as 4000 B.C. The earliest example of the most pervasive type of Bandhani dots can be seen in the 6th century paintings depicting the life of Buddha found on the wall of Cave I at Ajanta. Also,this art finds its mentions in books during the period of Alexander the Great, about the beautiful printed cottons of India(bandhani).
Bandhani work was initially started in India by the Khatri community of the Kutch. Places like Jaipur, Udaipur, Bikaner, Bhilwara in the state of Rajasthan and Jamnagar in Gujarat practice this textile art extensively.
Dyes
In the olden days natural dyes extracted from roots, flowers, berries and barks were used to dye the fabrics whereas nowadays synthetic dyes are more common and easily available in the market.
The city of Jamnagar, located in the Gulf of Kutch, in Gujarat is well known for its red Bandhani.Dyeing process of Bandhani is carried out extensively in this city, as the water of this area is known to give a particular brightness to colors, specifically reds and maroons.
Method of making
In simple terms, the fabric is finely tied with threads and dyed in stages.The desired designs produced on the fabric are either block printed on the fabric or a plastic sheet with pin-holes pattern of the design is used as a stencil to transfer the design on the cloth. The outline of the design is pulled up by pinching with the nail and tied tightly into a knot called bindhi.
The cloth is tied into knots of various sizes depending upon the design to be produced and these knots form the dye resist areas. After all the knots have been tied, the fabric is washed to remove any imprints. It is then dipped into a chemical called naphthol for a few minutes and then in a lighter shade dye. The fabric is then rinsed and excess liquid is squeezed out. The fabric is then dried and tied and dipped in a darker colour dye. The cloth is then left alone for a couple of hours allowing the colours to soak in well while leaving the knotted areas to remain undyed. After this process is completed the fabric is finally washed and dried. The knots are then removed to reveal the beautiful designs.
Bandhani Lehenga – It’s colours and embellishments
Bandhi lehenga is loved by women young and old due to its bright colourful printing and has been flaunted by many celebrities of Bollywood.
In Bandhani, different colours convey different meanings. However, each color has its own significance.RED, which is a symbol of marriage, is believed to give a good future and fortune to a newly wed bride.SAFFRON is the color of a yogi.YELLOW symbolizes spring and joy.BLACK AND MAROON are the colors of mourning.
Bandhani lehenga prints are further beautified with mirror and gota embellishments which makes it more luxurious na majestic
Brides Enhancing their Wedding Look with Bandhani Dupattas
And one trend that has been making a statement for quite a while is the inclusion of bandhani dupattas in the bridal look. The vibrant tie and dye colors of Gujarat’s bandhani dupattas have always been a favorite among girls but spotting them in the bridal ensembles was very new and fascinating. A few famous royal brides recently made strong fashion statements by teaming a bandhani dupatta with their wedding lehenga, and we can know for sure this look is going to rule the upcoming wedding seasons.
The Bandhani wedding dupatta trend setter
All thanks to this Pakistani bride who brought this stunning trend into the limelight looking like a dreamy vision in a bottle green lehenga, this bride opted for a double dupatta look. But what set her apart from the rest was the pop of color that she added to her look with the red and green bandhani dupatta.
Isha Ambani’s Bandhani bridal wear
Isha Ambani walked down the aisle looking like a true royal bride in an off-white and golden lehenga. The veil was just flowing beautifully behind her as she walked and the pivotal ensemble, the bright red bandhani dupatta embellished with heavy mirror work uplifted the overall bridal look.
Present day bandhini lehenga
The latest fashion are the modern new age Bandhani lehenga which comes in interesting and different colours and silhouettes from the traditional ones.In these lehengas,capes or long jackets plain or with bandhini prints replace a dupatta and looks super fancy.These lehengas are welcomed by the new age brides for mehendi functions and other wedding parties as they want to mix traidition with there modern upbringing.
