Jamdani of Bengal: Cultural Heritage of Humanity

One day, the Mughal emperor Auwrangzeb was astonished to see his eldest and favorite daughter, Princess Zeb-Un-Nissa, strolling naked in the garden. Outraged by her immodesty, the emperor demanded to know why she was walking outside without clothes. The princess calmly replied that she was wearing her “jamas”. In fact, she claimed she was wearing seven garments sewn from a jamdani so transparent and fine that to her father’s eyes they seemed invisible.

  

Photos taken by Joy Prokash

This 17th century story is one of the earliest known references to jamdani, a fine, hand woven figured muslin produced in Bengal. Thicker cotton threads are laid into the weft to produce the illusion of a suspended pattern on the surface of an almost transparent fabric. Intricate colored motifs seem to float upon the cloth. The word jamdani is thought to have derived from jaam-daar, a Persian weaving term for floral designs in cotton thread or possibly, jama, the Bengali word for dress.

The origin of the Jamdani is shrouded in mystery. Megasthenes, Greek ambassador in Chandragupta Maurya's court, speaking of the costumes of the people of India, writes: "their robes are worked in gold, and ornamented with various stones, and they wear also flowered garments of the finest muslin." "No conventional ornament is probably more ancient than the coloured stripes and patterns we find on Indian cotton cloths," says G. C. M Birdwood. On the testimony of Megasthenes we may hold that the flowered garments of the finest muslin, which came to be known as the Jamdani in the Mughal period, can be traced far back to the Maurya period (c.321-185 BCE) or even earlier.

Production of jamdani reached a pinnacle during the latter period of the Mughal Empire. The ultimate test of its fineness was to pass a sari width through a small golden ring. Centuries before the arrival of the Mughals, the Bengali textile industry had exported fine cotton muslins to both Roman and Chinese empires. The Greek geographer Megasthenes described Bengali muslins in the 4th Century BC. The Romans were so inspired by the fabric’s diaphanous quality they called it “woven air”. In the 17th and 18th centuries, the fabric became a much desired and expensive trade good exported west to Kabul, Baluchistan, Persia, Arabia and Greece. Jamdani continued to be produced and exported during the days of the British Raj, but the British supported their own agriculture and textile industries at India’s expense, and the quality of Bengali jamdani declined. Recently, quality has returned with revived interest in traditional Indian textiles. Today, jamdani is produced more or less as it has been for centuries.

There are some serious problems with the revival of Jamdani in Bengal. Most prime problem is the salary of its wavers. According to a national daily, a senior taanti or "ostad" earns about Tk 2,500 to Tk 3,000 per month. Junior weavers get much less, around Tk 1,600. As a result, many weavers do not want their children to come to this profession. For many, the garments industry offer a lucrative alternative.

Traditional art of Jamdani weaving

Traditional art of Jamdani weaving

© 2012 by Murshid Anwar

The traditional art of weaving jamdani has been declared by UNESCO as a Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. Jamdani is a vividly patterned, sheer cotton fabric, traditionally woven on a handloom by craftspeople and apprentices around Dhaka. Jamdani textiles combine intricacy of design with muted or vibrant colours, and the finished garments are highly breathable. Jamdani is a time-consuming and labour-intensive form of weaving because of the richness of its motifs, which are created directly on the loom using the discontinuous weft technique. Weaving is thriving today due to the fabric’s popularity for making saris, the principal dress of Bengali women at home and abroad.

The Jamdani sari is a symbol of identity, dignity and self-recognition and provides wearers with a sense of cultural identity and social cohesion. The weavers develop an occupational identity and take great pride in their heritage; they enjoy social recognition and are highly respected for their skills. A few master weavers are recognized as bearers of the traditional Jamdani motifs and weaving techniques, and transmit the knowledge and skills to disciples. However, Jamdani weaving is principally transmitted by parents to children in home workshops. Weavers – together with spinners, dyers, loom-dressers and practitioners of a number of other supporting crafts – form a closely knit community with a strong sense of unity, identity and continuity.

Thankfully, the government and other organizations are trying to revive the old glory of Dhakai Jamdani. In a bid to avoid the middlemen, they are trying to establish direct contact with the weavers. A Jamdani Palli has been established near Dhaka. Jamdani, one of the oldest forms of cottage industry in Bangladesh, was once a dying trade. It was successfully revived due to the pioneering work of entrepreneurs such as Monira Emdad. Dhakaiaa Jamdani store is now so popular and biggest online page for jamdani sharee Dhakaiaa Jamdani, Tangail Saree Kutir along with other sari stores on Baily Road, Jamdani Hut, Aarong and Nilanjona polli strive to support the thousands of weavers of Bangladesh who have struggled to keep this age old tradition and fashion alive. Organizations 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.

Jamdani has never gone out of style. Even today, Jamdani is equally valued It has and it always will symbolize aristocracy. The demand for quality Jamdani Sarees have increased exponentially over the years.

To buy Dhakai jamdani Sari you can visit http://www.dhakaijamdaniltd.com/ or you can visit Gauchia Market in New Marke, Dhaka.