Jamdani

Overview
The word Jamdani is derived from the Persian word jam, meaning floral and 'Dani', a vase. It is
named after decorative floral patterns found on Dhakai textile. The availability of Jamdani in
Bengal can be traced back in the first century BCE as the historical accounts suggest.
Historically, Bengal Muslin has been recognized as a cotton fabric of legendary lightness and
distinctive motifs by many world travelers.
Jamdani is a handloom woven fabric made of cotton, which historically was referred to as
muslin. Hence, it is a variety of one of the finest muslin which had figured or flowered patterns.
A striking feature of jamdani muslins is the patterns of Persian derivation. The fabric is often a
gray cotton ornamented with brightly coloured cotton and gold and silver wire. As the weaving
process was hectic and required proficiency, Jamdani could only be afforded by the very rich.

History: The Glory of Jamdani

Sonargaon is known as the birthplace of Jamdani and it extended towards the north along the
banks of the river Sitalakhya. Due to the particular soil ecology, temperature, humidity of the
climate and the minerals carried by Sitalakhya’s water; the production site was very suitable for
making cotton especially Jamdani.
Jamdani has been considered to be of Persian origins by historians. A 9th century Arabian named
Sulaiman described beautiful cotton garments from the Rahmi kingdom (formerly known as
undivided Bengal) that could fit through a signet ring. Numerous patterns and colors were
incorporated into the fabric by Islamic influences from the 12th century. It then transformed into
a surface for fascinating patterns thanks to the magic of one inlaid thread, which was introduced
intermittently to the loom. By using this method, patterned fabrics with lyrical names like
Shabnam (morning dew), Ab-i-rawan (flowing water), and Baftnama were produced (woven
wind). The art reached its pinnacle under the rule of Mughal emperor Akbar, when Jamdani, a
muslin decorated with flowers, took on a life of its own.
During the early 14th century, Muhammad Bin Tughluq known as the Sultan of Delhi brought in
Persian weavers to work with artisans and weave the highest quality of Jamdani. However, there
is evidence that in the Mughal period (1556-1605) during the reign of the Emperor Akbar or
Emperor Jahangir (1605-1627), the figured or floral pattern on the muslin came to be known as
Jamdani.

Muhammad Bin Tughluq Akbar the Great

Crafting Jamdani
Jamdani is undoubtedly the most cherished of all the Muslins. Its positioning comes from the
unique range of designs, both geometric and floral, which cannot be found in any other textile
tradition of the region. The crafting process is initiated when
Two weavers sit at a bamboo loom called a tant, which is used to weave a jamdani. Below it is a
dugout pit. The loom is set up such that it rises in front of the weavers—a ustaad (master
weaver) and a shagred (apprentice)—as they sit upright with their feet in the pit. The younger
shagred is seated on the left, while the ustad is seated on the right. The warp's fine threads are
massed so closely together that they can be used to create a smooth, pointed pen to weave the
desired pattern into it. This wooden pen was made by a weaver. The master weaver uses a
bamboo pen called a kandur to cut through the warp, shift it to the right from below, raise it
above, loop a colorful thread through it, and bring it back to the right. To make the weft, he
repeats this procedure across the warp. By carrying the weft to the left, beating it, and shifting
the shed, he may make portions of each motif. Every time he moves the shed, the other weaver
passes the shuttle back through the warp to start over. The design was placed into the fabric's
web through two stages using the new wefts, one to the right and one to the left. Despite taking a
long time and being physically demanding, the technique is quite rhythmic. The fabric's
backdrop is typically gray and embellished with delicate or vibrantly colorful motifs. The
weavers pick up their pointed bamboo sticks again and continue weaving using the lay and
shuttle as previously explained, paying attention to how many warp threads are passed through
the flower threads each time according to the size of the design that will be created.

Flow of the Crafting Process

1 3 5 7
Bleaching & Beam Final
Denting
Dyeing Warping Weaving

2 4 6
Pirn Jacquard
Designing
Winding Weaving
Master Weavers of Jamdani
Showkat Ali
From a young age, Showkat Ali has been
weaving jamdanis and has honed his craft to an
art form. He has advanced in the industry. Due
to his renown and mastery, he is paid
commissions. For a wealthy woman who gave
him 40,000 taka, he once spent four months
weaving an extremely expensive jamdani sari.
This sari included gold brocade.
Showkat Ali participated in numerous textile fairs
and exhibitions in Bangladesh that were
organized by various organizations, and he won
numerous prizes for his superb artistry. The
national organization Bangladesh Shilpakala
Academy was founded in 1993.
He was chosen to travel to India for a month to
give weaving demonstrations for jamdani saris in
Kerala, New Delhi, and Calcutta.

Biren Kumar Basak

Biren Kumar Basak is a master weaver of
Fulia who specializes in Jamdani sarees. He
started his life as a weaver at the age of eight
years. At the age of 21, Basak became a
professional weaver in Tangail and Jamdani
sarees.
Biren Kumar Basak is a much decorated
craftsman. He was awarded the Certificate of
Merit by the Ministry of Textiles in 2009.In
2012, he won the National Award. On 7th
August, 2015, he was honored on National
Handloom Day in Chennai.
Government Initiatives
Before the National Handloom Development Cooperation helped construct the E-commerce
Facilitation Centre (CFC) in Kalna in 2006, there was no such thing as a cluster or cooperative.
The saree vendors, NGOs self-help groups (SHGs), craftsmen, and master weavers are credited
with the cluster's growth. CFC is working to consolidate all of the weavers, tools, and supplies
under one roof. 56 self-help organizations make up 5 consortiums. The CFC has a dyeing unit
and a design studio that help with the card punching, cutting, and drafting processes. Since the
lives of weavers involve more than just weaving, they gain the necessary exposure and improve
their quality of life. Another establishment by the government is the Integrated Handloom
Cluster Development Scheme (IHCDS) that provides equipment and other benefits like family
welfare, education and training to the weavers.

Current Problems
A senior taanti, or "ustaad," reportedly gets between Tk 2,500 and Tk 3,000 per month. Junior
weavers typically receive Tk 1,600 or less. As a result, many weavers prefer the more lucrative
garments sector and do not want their children to enter the field of textile arts.
 Efforts for Revival of the Heritage
The government and various organizations are working to restore Dhakai Jamdani's former
glory. They are attempting to get in touch with the weavers directly in an effort to cut out the
middlemen. Near Dhaka, a Jamdani Palli has been formed. One of the oldest types of small-scale
business in Bangladesh is jamdani, which was formerly a dying trade. New Jamdani designs are
being created by designers with the assistance of institutions like Radiant Institute of Design,
Shanto Mariam University of Creative Technology, National Institute of Design, and others.

Economic Contribution
A large cast of artisans, both men and women, are employed in the preparation of the yarn and
the construction of the loom, which supports not just the livelihoods of weavers but the entire
economy centered around the manufacture of Jamdani. Jamdani weaving is distinguished by the
fact that all patterns and designs are created from memory and verbally transmitted from father
to son, master to apprentice, and generation to generation. Therefore, it is crucial to support this
intergenerational skill transmission to maintain the trade, as the demise of Jamdani would have
an impact on an entire community of artists who have few resources aside from their unique
abilities.
Types of Jamdani (End Products)
Dhakai Jamdani
Nawabs of Dhaka and Tanda’s Wajid Ali Shah continued to produce jamdani after the Mughal
reign. Dhakaian weavers were professionals in weaving jamdani sarees and dress materials,
hence, it came to be known as Dhakai Jamdani.

Tangail Jamdani
During the 1971 Bangladesh Freedom and the Partition of 1947, the skilled muslin weavers
mainly of the Basak community, travelled from the district of Tangail. They settled in the district
of Kalna in Bardhaman and Santipur in the district of Nadia, both traditionally known hand-
woven fabric centres. They brought in the weaving style they practiced back in Tangail and
handed it down to their descendants over the years. And this is how the ‘Tangail’ saree, usually
woven in Kalna and generally worn by females all throughout West Bengal, came into existence.
Uppada Jamdani
Uppada Jamdani sarees are silk style woven sarees which are renowned for their lightweight. In
the 18th century, the Jamdani style of weaving was brought south into India’s Uppada village of
East Godavari district from Bengal. Hence, this unique silk-like texture and light weightiness
being woven by Uppada weavers earned it the name.

Decline of Jamdani
The lengthy history of Jamdani workmanship is still present, nevertheless. The fact that weavers
now do not receive enough compensation for their labor is a serious issue for the industry. A
quality Jamdani saree requires one to two months of labor, and the weavers' pay does not
adequately account for their toil. The producers frequently lack direct access to the markets for
sarees, and because they depend on the middlemen—who frequently organize informal cartels—
for their livelihood, they are denied their fair portion of the profits. The producers occasionally
fail to recoup their expenses. It is in decline because of competition from low cost power loom
sarees, poor wages and an absence of direct access to the market. Demand for high-end Jamdanis
would substantially improve the livelihoods of weavers and encourage transmission of skills.
VIDEO LINKS
1. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P76_0JvlacQ – Weaving Process of Jamdani
2. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qzPlhd2lHOo – A Revival of Fine Jamdani
3. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dq-PzYzvMzA – Pre Weaving Process of Jamdani