 Bandhani (pronounced bon' duh nee), one of the world's oldest textile decoration techniques, is still crafted in remote villages of the Indian states of Rajasthan and Gujarat. Bandhani was discovered by the West in the 18th and early 19th centuries thru demand for exports of Indian-made silk handkerchiefs which have come to be known as bandannas.
 Bandhani, whose name is derived from the Hindi word for tying up, is an ancient form of tie and dye. A skilled craftswoman, with the aid of a long-grown finger-nail or a spiked finger ring, pushes the silk upwards from below to form a tiny peak. She then deftly wraps the tip with a fine cotton thread to create a dot the size of a pin's head. One at a time, dot by dot, a precise and intricate pattern materializes.
Once the tying is done, the silk is handed over to the dye artisan, who gently dips the piece into a vat of color. The untied areas accept the dye, while the tightly bound dots retain the original color. The process may be repeated several times, with subsequent courses of tied dots, then dye dips. Finally, once dry, the threads are unraveled to liberate the design and display the distinctive dimpled, elastic texture of Bandhani. The triumph of expert craftsmanship is revealed! Small wonder it is considered auspicious to wear a piece of Bandhani.
A limited selection of Bandhani masterpieces, all created on pure silk, is available from the private collection of Asian Eye.
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