Introduction:

Light as a feather, and arising from an exotic concoction of Mughal patronage with ancient
Hindu traditions, Jamdani (or Dhakai Jamdani) sarees represent one of the finest and most
ancient forms of weaving that originated in Bengal. These sarees are characterized by intricately
designed motifs that seem to float on the surface of an almost transparent, ultra-fine fabric,
giving it a mystical charm that is hard to find elsewhere.

What is Jamdani:
Jamdani or Jamdhani is a fine art weave attachment, intended to enhance the look and appeal of
the saree on which it is hand woven. It is also considered a hand-woven technique that creates
patterns of various colours and designs on cotton or silk sarees. Intending to improve the
aesthetic appeal, it takes the form of cotton and gold colored thread weaving to create motifs of
geometric patterns and floral designs in colourful hues.

How to identify a Jamdani saree:

Jamdani sarees are made of high quality cotton muslin, which is very thin and soft, making the
saree very light and airy.
Jamdani sarees are characterised by eye-catching ornamental motifs woven onto the fabric.
These intricate motifs in thicker thread seem to float on the surface of the ultra-fine fabric.
Floral motifs are almost always present on Jamdani sarees. You’ll find paisleys, diamond shapes
as well as lotus, lamp, fish etc depending on where the saree is manufactured.
A genuine Jamdani saree will not cost less than Rs.2500.
The ultimate expression of regality and aristocracy, Jamdani is not called the finest muslin for no
reason — this extremely skillful weave takes anywhere from a month to a year to complete a
saree. A Dhakai Jamdani, however, takes a minimum of nine months to weave. So, if you don’t
own a Jamdani saree yet, there is no better time to invest in this piece of heritage. With the world
of fashion once again embracing this gorgeous weave, you would definitely not want to be left
out, right?

History of Jamdani Saree:

Jamdani, a word came from Persian language, is a combination of the words ‘Jam’ and ‘Dani’
meaning “flower” and “Jar” respectively that means- Jar of Flowers. Basically this is a saree
weaving technique. This weave done by hand loom on brocade is a really time consuming
process and is a blend of figures and floral motifs. Jamdani also known as muslin cloth has a
weave of the typical gray and white, and sometimes a mixture of cotton and gold thread. If you
want to know about the History of Jamdani Saree then let’s dig into the history.
Jamdani weaving is the Cutting Edge symbol of Bangladesh’s rich cultural heritage. The Capital
City of Bangladesh, Dhaka and one of the other most famous place called Narayanganj in
Central Bangladesh have served as hubs for Jamdani handlooms for centuries. Large number of
journals has reference for the History of Jamdani Saree and jamdani weaving. In the book Sril
Silat-ut-Tawarikh, written in the 9th century, the Arab geographer Solaiman talks about the fine
fabrics fabricated in the state called Rumy, or modern day Bangladesh. An interesting article in
“The News Today” references the famous Book of “Periplus of Ertitrean Sea” (written as an
navigation and trading story of the world), noting that it documents the fine fabrics available in
this area as far back as the first decade before the birth of Christ. The golden age of Dhaka
muslin, After all, began with Mughal rule in the 17th century. Due to the labor and time
demanding manufacturing operation, Jamdani fabric was extremely expensive and thus a luxury
afforded by only royals and nobles.
If you want to know more about the History of Jamdani Saree then you will also needs to know
few terms and technique to know the original jamdani. Jamdani weaving is related to other
handloom weaving approach, at which point small shuttles of threads are passed through the
weft. It is hand-woven on a bamboo loom with the weaver sitting in a trench dug into the ground.
As shown in the bellow image, two weavers sit alongside each other at the loom and add every
alternates auxiliary weft motif separately, by hand, alternatively the supplementary weft threads
into the warp with fine bamboo sticks in a zigzag manner using individual spools of thread. It is
a special mechanism as there is no use of rules what so ever and neither does the
loom make any noise. The design is drawn on a graph paper and placed bottom of the warp. It is
important that the designs are never sketched or outlined on the prototype fabric. In fact some
seasoned weavers don’t even use the graph paper; they insert motifs from their memory and for
few designs they make so often that they really don’t need it! The patterns are mostly floral or
geometrical. The Victoria and Albert Museum of London have a fine collection of Jamdani saris.
What makes Jamdani the so charming art form it is? Its exclusivity is associate to its rarity. The
decline in the Jamdani industry is recorded to have begun as early as the middle of the eighteenth
century. With the decline of the Mughal empire in the Indian sub-continent, Jamdani kaarigars or
weavers lost their most influential patrons. This is not the only reason but this is considered to be
the primary reason for the decline of this elegant art form. The decline was emphasised with the
subsequent import of lower quality and cheaper yarn from Europe. These issues have had effect
in present times as well. With the oldest generations of craftsman on this industry was unable to
sustain their craft production, the younger generations did not have any training to fall back on.
Also, the main Jamdani-making belt in Bangladesh, on the banks of the river Shitalakhya, is
under serious threat with waste from factories, mills, and settlements. The long-winded nature of
the Jamdani weaving process demands a price that limits its consumer base. A craft process at
risk of destruction, it must be recognised that the Jamdani industry can only survive if the market
is expanded and keep the History of Jamdani Saree at height.

This is our historical and heritage and we will have to take the necessary action to keep our glory
alive. In modern days with the blessings of eCommerce now millions of peoples from the
different part of this planet is connected through internet and we are in jamdani.com come
forward to enhance and bring our glorious product to worldwide. According to our survey, we
have found that many of the young generation are interested on Jamdani but at the same time
they want this fabric should expand in other clothing so that it can come forward as our
mainstream. So that users can use it regularly not occasionally and we found some other clothes
like 3pcs, lehenga, dopatta could be a good approach to meet the modern needs. Lets try to
rebuid the History of Jamdani Saree which will make Bangladesh more recognisable in the
world.
Weaving Technique:
Jamdani sarees are woven on the brocade loom. This is a supplementary weft technique of
weaving, where the artistic motifs are produced by a non-structural weft, in addition to the
standard weft that holds the warp threads together. The standard weft creates a fine, sheer fabric
while the supplementary weft with thicker threads adds the intricate patterns to it. Each
supplementary weft motif is added separately by hand by interlacing the weft threads into the
warp with fine bamboo sticks using individual spools of thread. The result is a myriad of vibrant
patterns that appear to float on a shimmering surface. What’s remarkable in this weaving
technique is that the pattern is not sketched or outlined on the fabric. Instead, it is drawn on a
graph paper and placed underneath the warp. Needless to say, jamdani weaving is an extremely
skillful, laborious and time-consuming process and it could take anywhere from a month to a
year to complete a saree.

Special features:
One of the most laborious forms of handloom weaves, it’s no surprise that it is considered to be
one of the most prized fabrics in the world. Jamdani weaving is time-consuming and labour-
intensive because of the richness of its motifs, which are created directly on the loom using the
discontinuous weft technique. Threads of gold and silver are usually woven together with these
sarees to create a variety of patterns and motifs on a brocade loom. It has the supplementary weft
technique along with the standard weft technique. The standard weft creates a fine, sheer fabric
while the supplementary weft with thicker threads adds the intricate patterns to it. Each of the
supplementary weft motif is manually added by interlacing the weft threads with fine bamboo
sticks using individual spools. It gives an illusion of the designs floating on a shimmering
surface, a characteristic of Jamdani weaves.
Colours
Though originally made in a variant of contrasting bright colours, many Jamdani sarees are now
coloured, and even the half and half Jamdani variety is extremely popular. The two current
favourites in Jamdani saree are the self-coloured style where the work is in the same colour as
the base fabric and the half and half style where the inner and outer halves of the saree are in
complementary colours. The designs and colors also changed with time. Originally, the motifs
used to be made on grey fabric. Later on, fabrics of other colours were also used. In the 1960s,
Jamdani work on red fabric became very popular.

Motifs
The most remarkable part of about the Jamdani weaving technique is that the motifs are not
sketched or outlined on the fabric. Instead, they are drawn on a translucent graph paper and
placed underneath the warp. Though Jamdani technique is famous for sarees, it is also used to
make scarves, handkerchiefs and dupattas. Popular motifs include panna hajar (thousand
emeralds), kalka (paisley), butidar (small flowers), fulwar (flowers arranged in straight rows),
tersa (diagonal patterns), jalar (motifs evenly covering the entire saree), duria (polka spots) and
charkona (rectangular motifs).
Types of Jamdani:
Jamdani sarees can be classified based on the type of motifs or the region where they are
produced.
Popular motifs include panna hajar (thousand emeralds), kalka (paisley), butidar (small flowers),
fulwar (flowers arranged in straight rows), tersa (diagonal patterns), jalar (motifs evenly covering
the entire saree), duria (polka spots) and charkona (rectangular motifs).
Regional variations in jamdani include:
Dhakai Jamdani (Bangladesh) - These are the original and the finest of jamdani sarees with the
most elaborate workmanship. One such saree could take from 9 months to a year to weave.
Tangail Jamdani (Bangladesh) – Woven in the Tangail district, these jamdani sarees have
traditional broad borders featuring lotus, lamp and fish scale motifs.
Shantipur Jamdani (India) – Woven in Shantipur, West Bengal, these jamdani sarees are
similar to Tangail jamdanis. They have a fine texture and often, elegant striped motifs decorate
the saree.
Dhaniakhali Jamdani (India) – With its origin in Dhaniakhali, West Bengal, these jamdani
sarees have tighter weave compared to the Tangail and Shantipur varieties. They are marked by
bold colours and dark, contrasting borders.

Modern Trends:
The original jamdani sarees in Dhaka were woven in pure cotton. The finer the weave, the more
soft, light and expensive was the resulting cotton fabric. Today, modern versions of the jamdani
are also woven in a blend of cotton and silk, and sometimes, even in pure silk. More vibrant
colours including gold and silver coloured yarns are used to make contemporary designs. These
sarees have a glossier finish and are worn by women all over Bangladesh & India, to make a
style statement in traditional jamdani.

Two of the current favourites in jamdani styles are featured here:

 Self-coloured style: where the weavings are in the same colour as the base fabric,
imparting an ethereal look to the saree
 Half-n-half style: where the inner and outer halves of the saree are in complementary
colours, giving a playful look to the saree
Current state of the art:
Despite all the plus points, the art form has seen a decline as the weavers don’t find the
profession as rewarding anymore. In an attempt to revive this art, a Jamdani Palli has been
established near Dhaka. Besides, organisations like Radiant Institute of Design, Shanto Mariam
University of Creative Technology, National Institute of Design (NID) and others are helping
designers create new Jamdani designs. One of the finest and most expensive materials to work
with, designers see endless possibilities with this beautiful weave and are taking a keen interest
in it. Designer Gaurang Shah, one of the pioneers to have showcased the Jamdani weaves on the
ramp, has worked extensively with this textile and aims at reviving the love for this beautiful
fabric not only in India, but all over the world. He feels that Jamdani is the perfect expression of
India’s elegant and detailed heritage. His intricate designs are brought to life with clever touches
of Dhakai work that have stolen the limelight at many international shows world over. He
doesn’t label his work as he believes that the ultimate credit for each creation goes to the
weavers.

Gaurang Shah Jamdani Sarees

Such is the charm of this gorgeous weave, that celebrities like Vidya Balan, Rani Mukherjee,
Kajol, Asha Parekh, Aishwarya Rai and many others have been often spotted wearing this
weave on various occasions. The most notable appearance was however, made by Priyanka
Chopra when she received the Padma Shri wearing a lime green Jamdani sari with intricate floral
designs.
Jamdani’s local & international market condition:
A weekly ‘Hat’ in Noapara, Rupganj approximately BDT 50 lakhs-1 crore of ‘Jamdani’ is being
sold.
According to Md. Mamunur Rashid, Industrial Estate Officer, Jamdani Industrial Estate, Tarabo,
Rupganj, Narayanganj, at present in Jamdani Industrial Estate about 3000-3500 weavers are
working and about 1750 hand looms are in production. Mainly saree, Punjabi and three-piece are
weaved. The annual production of Jamdani goods of the estate is approximately 60,000 -70,000
in number and its market price is BDT 12-15 crores. A weekly ‘Hat’ held in Noapara, Rupganj
where Jamdani traders are gathered to sell their vendible. In each market approximately BDT. 50
lakhs-1 crore are transacted said Md. Mamunur Rashid. Beyond this there are also so many
weavers all over the country who produces Jamdani products.

In India “Jamdani” mostly knowns as “Dhakai Jamdani”. Indian merchants often come to
Bangladesh for their customer demand and they directly deal with the weavers with providing
their design and color of the product. Besides India ‘Jamdani’ products are also exported to other
South Asian countries and some of European countries. Many of those exports are not being
calculated in mainstream export figures as these transactions are being made in cash and the
shipment mostly are going through hand carriage of the travellers.
How India influences Bangladeshi ‘Jamdani’ sector:

Over the past few years India started to produce ‘Jamdani’ by using power looms where
Bangladesh still now using conventional hand looms. For the mechanization, their production is
high and they have variety in color and designs but from the point of view of quality and
traditional heritage aspect Bangladeshi ‘Jamdani’ is far ahead. But it is true that Indian
entrepreneurs keep pace with the new updates and participate in promotion and market exploring
opportunities where the Bangladeshi entrepreneurs are not aware of these activities which throw
Bangladesh at the rear. Many ‘Jamdanis’ being made in Bangladeshi cottage ending up to
today’s high end fashion aware ‘saree’ loving Indians living all around the world. Some Indian
companies are using their branding and promotion strength to make money on the cottage
industry handmade Bangladeshi prodcuts. Bangladeshi artisans are only getting wages not the
premium of the art they produce by their own hands. So, even though number of ‘Jamdani’
sarees sales is increasing that put little impact on the life of the artisans.

Bangladesh achieves “Geographical Indication (GI)” for ‘Jamdani’:

According to World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO), GI is a name or sign used on
certain products which corresponds to a specific geographical location or origin such as a town,
region, or a country.
Jamdani has got the registration as the first Geographical Indication (GI) product of Bangladesh
on November 17, 2016. Industries Minister Amir Hossain Amu, on behalf of Department of
Patents, Designs and Trademarks (DPDT) under his ministry, handed over the GI registration
certificate to Bangladesh Small and Cottage Industries Corporation (BSCIC).
“With giving GI registration to Jamdani, the country has stepped forward to protect the rights on
traditional and national products,” the industries minister told at the certificate giving ceremony.
With the GI registration, the country will be able to protect better the origin of Jamdani and gain
from its international market. DPDT hopes that the GI registration will help in protecting the
national heritage and also increase the market value of this traditional and much sought after
product.

Recommendations to move forward:

 This should be ensured that the entrepreneurs can utilize the advantages of GI.
 The supply chain of ‘Jamdani’ export should be in a transparent way.
 More technical seminars, promotional fairs, fashion shows should be arranged where the
entrepreneurs are given free access.
 Modernize the design development process, conventional machineries should be
upgraded keeping the originality of art intact.
  Government should formulate appropriate rules and regulations to support this heritage.
 Government should plan and built facilities to increase the value addition through country
level branding of ‘Jamdani’. Once GI has been confirmed, massive branding and
promotion is badly needed.
 Craftsman should be assured of basic needs and a better life at least for their next
generation.
Jamdani is a family based cottage industry. Here all the members of a family are involved with
this tradition and this is how the artisans hold this heritage from generation to generation. Now
that the GI law has been introduced in Bangladesh and that the global community has recognized
‘Jamdani’ as Bangladesh’s own, it is hoped that the Government of Bangladesh and international
trade regime will take effective measures to restore Jamdani as Bangladesh’s own product and
heritage. Jamdani has its own identity and it will remain if the artisans survived.