Tie and Dye Work

Bandhej or Bandhani is the area of royals. ‘Bandhani’ is said to be symbolic of girlhood, love and marital happiness. The most intricate and refined ‘bandhani’ is made in Jamnagar and Kutch. A bandhani garment was considered auspicious for the bride. One also finds the maids in the Ajanta wall paintings wearing blouses of tie and die patterns. Tie and Die is one of the most widely accepted and one of the very traditional methods of printing textiles in Gujarat. According to the design and the motif, each pattern has its special significance. Chokidal is pattern of intricately weaving a bandhani with a pebble. It primarily a pattern of square, elephants and other animals. And Kambaliya is a design with a dotted pattern in the center and a different design along the border. In the past there was also a design called bavan (52) bag.