Tie & Dye

Introduction

Bandhani is considered the most important of crafts in Jamnagar in terms of employment. The proces is belived to have originated in the area some 5000 years ago and seems to have remained in production ever since. Today most of the bandhani product in India is made in Kutch or Saurashtra, the neighbouring districts. In this two districts, more than 25000 people ar employed in making bandhani (O.D.C.H., 1999).

The intricacy of the pattern depends on the skill of the craftperson, the number of knots and the fineness of the cloth. A saree made of georgette can gave up to 40,000 knots whereas a woven woolen shawl may have less than 100. Wuth fewer knowts only geometric designs are possible, but most of the cottons and silks carry motifs such as peacocks, elephants, fruits, and interlocking circle patterns. Kutchi crafts people are said to have the best skill for the very fine work. Sarees, Shawls, Odhanis and cloth lengths to be made into clothes, are the main products.

Many of those involved in bandhani are dependent on dealers from Jamnagar,and Rajkot (in Saurashtra) and Ahmedabad. Because of the skills in Kutch, the dealers sends agents to the towns of kutch to give cloth, with designs already marked out, and thread to men and women to carry our the tying process. The workers are paid by the kadi(four knots). In an Eight hour working day, a worker may complete upto 800 kadi on silk or 1200 on cotton. The finest sarees may take upto 12 days to knot.