The Saree Stories : The Art Of Weaving A Jamdani Saree

Jamdani is a very famous saree. It is a very old and traditional saree that has good significance. The saree has its origin in Bangladesh. It is woven in many parts of Bangladesh and then sent to other countries of the world. Jamdani saree is considered to be a royal one because it has a fabulous look. It enhances the beauty of women to a great extent. In simple words, it can be said that the saree is simple and gorgeous. There are rarely any women in this world who hesitate to wear this saree. The saree has already become a good profession for many people. A good quality Jamdani will have a good price.

Origin of Jamdani Saree

The origin of Jamdani saree is in Bangladesh. There are many families who earn their bread by weaving Jamdani sarees. Jamdani is also coined as Muslin. It takes a very long time to weave a muslin saree. But modern technology has made the work a bit easier. Now the technicians take less time to weave a single muslin or Jamdani saree.

During the early time, this saree was mainly worn by royal members because it was very expensive. The term Jamdani has a special significance. “Jam” means flower and “Dani” means vase. It means beautiful designs or motifs on saree.

The origin of Jamdani saree is in Bangladesh. There are many families who earn their bread by weaving Jamdani sarees

The research report has found that there was mention of Jamdani sarees at Chanakya’s Arthashastra. It was during the 3^rd century BC. Even during the Mughal reign, there was huge popularity and demand of Jamadani saree. It was during the British rule when the industry experienced a great set back. Apart from this, the export of cheap yarn from European countries was also another main reason for the decline of Jamdani industry. Madhurapur and Jangalbadi were the two famous villages that produced Jamdani sarees.

Special features about Jamdani sarees

There are some specific features about Jamdani saree. Let’s have a glance at it.

• Jamdani weaving includes a good amount of labor. Discontinuous weft technique is mainly used for manufacturing Jamdani sarees. Golden and silver threads are woven together in order to give a variety look to the saree.
• The standard weft technique is also sometimes used so that the fabric looks different. The technician has to be very cautious while weaving this saree. A single mistake can make the whole thing wrong.
• In the ancient period, Jamdani sarees were mostly found in light colors but now there are bright color Jamdanis. Further the half bright and half light combination of Jamdani saree is quite popular in the present time.
• The red color was not so prevalent during the early times, but after the 1960s, there was the introduction of red color Jamdanis. It was greatly loved and liked by many women’s. The most amazing part of Jamdani saree is that the motifs are either not sketched or outlined in Jamdani sarees.
• There are some famous styles of motifs. One such is butidar were small flowers are found on the full body of saree. Another is Fulwar where flowers are arranged in straight rows. These are some of the common designs. Apart from this, there are some rare designs and in that case, the cost of the saree increases to a great extent.

Various Categories of Jamdanis:

Jamdani saree is categorized into various types. One is the Dhakai Jamdani that originally weaves and manufactured in Bangladesh. It has been observed that in order to weave a single Jamdani saree a technician takes about 9 months to 1 year time. There is Tangail Jamdani that is manufactured in the Tangail District of Bangladesh.

Moreover, there is Shantipur Jamdani that is manufactured in a small village at Shantipur. Even the Dhaniakhali Jamdani is also very famous. The most popular motifs of Jamdani are flowers, lotus or wide variety type of fish designs. Bold color Jamdanis are manufactured with contrasting borders. The range of Jamdani saree depends upon its work or embroideries. The more the work the more will be its price. Initially, the range of Jamdani commences from 2,500 INR. There are Jamdanis that cost about 25,000INR. The cost of the saree also depends upon the type of zari or threads used. There are bridal Jamdanis that cost about 8,000-10,000 INR.

Complete Overview on Jamdani Saree

Sometimes it becomes quite tough to identify an original Jamdani. However, it can be easily identified if the saree is very soft and airy. Jamdani sarees can easily be worn with matching accessories. Pearl set goes best with the type of traditional attires. If you fold a Jamdani saree it will become quite small and compact. This is the best way to identify a Jamdani saree.

Even traditional ornaments can also be worn with Jamdani sarees as they are one of the oldest traditional saree.

Jamdani is such a sari that is found in most of the women’s wardrobe. To be very specific most of the Bengali women’s keeps a Jamdani saree in their wardrobe. Fashion may go and come, but the beauty of Jamdani will never lose its importance. Even during the ancient time, the Queens used to wear Jamdani sarees. At that time there were Jamdanis that had gold and diamonds settings on the saree. It can be presumed that how precious those sarees were.

Also Explore : The Saree Stories

As times changed, there were changes in the concept and designs of Jamdani sarees. However, good quality fabrics are mainly used to prepare this type of sarees.

It is to be always kept in mind that Jamdani sarees must be dry washed. No other means should be applied. It should also be wrapped in a clean cloth and kept in a plastic bag so that it remains good for a long period of time.

Now it is quite clear from the entire discussion that whatever be the concept of fashion saree will never lose its essence. The traditional sarees like Jamdani, Bomkai, Ikkat, Pashmina have a different taste that cannot be described in words.