'Jamdani' - Fabrics from the singing looms of Bengal

Walking through the narrow streets of Bengal, one can hearthe magical spell of looms, the rhythmic singing of shuttles making the musical'tak-tak'. This sound keeps reverberating in the Indian clothing culture forthe past 2000 years. Hand woven fabrics have been infamous for its culture andvirtues since time immemorial. Despite globalization and technology, this crafthas its own evergreen place in the mind of cultural lovers.

  Ethical fabrics from Bengal:

  Jamdani is one of the most beautiful textiles of Bengal.  Jamdani means, a vase of flowers. History of this fabric dates back to theearly ages, wherein mentions of the fabric are seen scripted in Arthashashtrawritten by Kautilya. The glory of this fabric can also be seen mentioned in thewritings of Chinese, Italian, and Arab travelers. No wonder, great Romanemperors paid remarkable prices for this Indian cotton.

Basically this fabric is of unbleached cotton yarn. Alluringdesigns are created in an innovative way in this fabric using bleached cottonyarn so as to give a light and dark effect. Weaving methods resemble thetapestry work where small shuttles of gold and silver colored threads arepassed through the weft.

Designs and Colors:

The weaving pattern combines intricate surface designssupplemented with delicate floral sprays. Saris are woven using this method arecalled as terchha. The part of the sari which goes over the shoulder isdecorated with motifs called jhalar. The most popular design is known aspanna hazaar meaning a thousand emeralds. Phulwar is yet another patternused in jamdani fabrics, which is normally created in black, bluish black, greyand off white background hues. These patterns were in vogue and were muchsought after during the Mughal period.

The traditional color of blue known as nilambari is dyedin indigo. Designs such as toradar meaning a bouquet are preserved as theirfamily skills, and are passed down through generations. Thus, the designs andcolors used in making the fabric differ from family to family, and have theirown individuality.

For weaving the fabric, the elementary pit loom is used. Theneedle is made from buffalo horn or tamarind wood. The fabrics are further dyedusing various process such as resist dyeing, tie dyeing, and other methods.Various natural materials are used in this process. Shellac is used for red,turmeric for yellow hue, pomegranate rinds for green, and iron shaving andvinegar to bring black color.

Global Market for Jamdani Fabrics:

Handlooms constitute the biggest cottage industry of India, engaging millions of looms in weaving the traditional beauty of the countrysheritage in cotton, silk and other natural fibres. One can hardly see a villagein Bengal, where weavers do not exist. The region in and around Dhaka is infamous for this wonder fabric.

This exquisitely woven delicate cotton muslin fabric isadmired to be one of the best among the skilled craftsmen of South Asia. Due tothe skills and dexterity involved in the making of this fabric, generally, theyare of high price. Despite its expensive price tags, demand for this fabricnever declines.