A tie-dye technique using thousands of tiny hand-tied knots to resist dye and create fine dotted patterns — Gujarat and Rajasthan's signature textile craft.
गुजरात, राजस्थान · Gujarat, Rajasthan
Fabric is pinched and tied at thousands of individual points, traditionally with a fingernail and thread, before being dyed, with each tied point resisting the dye to leave a small undyed dot once the knots are removed, building up larger patterns from these fine dot clusters.
Specific bandhani patterns traditionally signal region, community, and occasion, distinct designs associated with weddings versus everyday wear, and the craft remains concentrated in Kutch and Saurashtra in Gujarat and Jaipur and Jodhpur in Rajasthan, both regions holding Geographical Indication recognition for their bandhani.