Jamnagar Bandhani Tie-Dye Craft of Gujarat

Bandhani (tie-dye) is an ancient resist-dyeing tradition of Gujarat, with Jamnagar and Bhuj being the premier centres. The craft involves tying thousands of tiny knots in cotton or silk cloth using the thumb and forefinger to create resist points, then immersing the cloth in successive dye baths from lighter to darker colours. A single Jamnagar odhni (dupatta) may contain 200,000 to 1,000,000 individual tie points. The knot-tier (Khatri women of the Khatri community) works from a printed template underneath the cloth. After dyeing, the knots are untied to reveal intricate patterns: stars (chandrokhani), waves (leheriya), and auspicious designs (Shivaji and Maharani patterns) named after historical royal patrons. Jamnagar produces premium silk bandhani for bridal and wedding wear. Bhuj bandhani uses cotton for everyday wear. GI certification was awarded. The Khatri community dominates both tie-tying and dyeing in Jamnagar. GSFC and Khamir support artisans.