BANDHANI
Tie-dye or Bandhani, a term that stems from the Hindi word
bandhana
which means to tie, is an ancient
form of surface decoration of textiles, that involves resist-tying areas of the fabric and then dyeing.
The process is repeated depending on the number of colours in a pattern. Sometimes an attractive
effect of small dots or roundels is created even by using a limited colour palette. The textile comes
alive when the resist threads are opened as thousands of dots appear creating motifs and patterns.
Tie-dye is a simple and inexpensive technique of decorating fabric; however increased fineness of
work, elaborate compositions and rich fabric such as silk elevates the technique and textile. The
western Indian states of Gujarat and Rajasthan are known for their range of beautiful tie-dyed textiles
and attire, both traditional such as shawls, dupattas, sashes and turbans as well as contemporary
clothing. The textile featured above has been created by
Sohail Khatri.
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