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Those weavers who have been weaving
plain muslin fabrics can learn the jamdani
technique with the same yarns while those
who have been weaving jamdani textiles
can learn the Muslin Jamdani technique.
effortlessly. This shows how we have taken the Muslin Jamdani
culture to the next level.
Being an Inspiration
The appreciation and demand of Muslin Jamdanis woven
by us has also inspired weavers in Kalna to take up weaving
once again. We ensure that apart from receiving payment for
the woven textiles the weavers have other benefits including
education for their children and health insurance. The marketing
skills I learnt while in Hyderabad have helped me spread the
word about the weaves and many of our old clients also helped
me take this work forward. I am also teaching students of
fashion and textiles who are interested to learn about Muslin
Jamdanis. These students can then take this tradition and spread
it across the world. I have a dream that I will build a school that
gives education along with imparting teachings of the weaving
culture, so that our beloved tradition is preserved.
While I have seen hardship and sometimes worry about the
future of Muslin Jamdani, I feel that I am very lucky to have
been born to a family of weavers and to have been able to show
the world the power of a craftsperson. Many craftspersons think
that the work they do doesn’t receive respect, but I feel every
work has its own respect.
In our simple village we do not realise the value of our weaves
that we have been weaving for generations. However, when I
travel, I get respect for my work which is heartwarming. I am
grateful for the success I have finally achieved but I will not
stop here as I have many dreams to achieve for myself, for the
spinners and weaving community, and for the art itself.
Once the yarn is procured, we process it by hand-sizing that
takes two-three days, and this is followed by winding and
drumming, then it is set on the loom. The fineness of the yarn
means the weaver has to be extremely skilled in setting the warp
yarns on the loom, with perfect tension so that the yarns do not
break during weaving. This will result in a fabric that is soft and
almost translucent.
Muslin and Motifs
We weave sarees, dupattas, stoles, curtain material and yardage,
both plain and with delicate motifs of flowers, leaves and buds
on the textile. These motifs may be worked by yarns of the same
colour as the warp, or with coloured yarns for which the yarns
are dyed with semi-natural dyes that have a very low presence of
chemicals. My father and I are bringing back old motifs and we
create these motifs from memory. If a person is seated next to a
loom we can reproduce the person’s face on it simply by looking
at the face. We do not need any paper patterns.
Muslin Jamdani weaving requires a cool mind and immense
patience. Those weavers who have been weaving plain muslin
fabrics can learn the jamdani technique with the same yarns,
and those who have been weaving jamdani textiles can learn
the Muslin Jamdani technique. I have taught weavers the art
of Muslin Jamdani weaving which is a very slow process. A
dupatta woven with mill-made yarn may take a month, and the
same design woven with muslin yarn (of 100 to 150-count)
takes a minimum of two and a half months. My grandfather
used to weave 100 to 150-count of yarn. When my father
started he used 200 to 300-count of yarn. I have woven Muslin
Jamdanis with 500-count of yarn that slips through a finger ring
