Handloom Tradition of West Bengal

West Bengal has lots to boast about and its handloom sector is one among them. This state has a rich tradition of handloom weaving. This has been a part of their cultural heritage from time immemorial. With more than 3.5 lakh handlooms in the state, its handloom products are not only famous in India but also all over the world. ‘Jamdani’ and ‘Tangail’ are the two pioneer sarees among the heritage handloom products of this state. Jamdani is one of the finest fabrics that you can ever have. Jamdani is a handloom woven fabric made of cotton, which was referred to as muslin in the past. It has its origin in Bengal. Making of jamdani saree is a very time consuming process. The laborers engaged in the making of jamdani sarees are highly skilled as it needs full concentration and artistic skills. In fact, it is known as the most artistic textile of the weavers in West Bengal. Instead of using karpasa cotton, weavers now use a blend of cotton and silk to make jamdani sarees. They have multicolored floral and linear motifs as well as mango motifs on them. Various patterns found on these sarees include rose, jasmine, bunches of ginger and sago, lotus and even bunches of bananas. Traditional dhakai jamdani sarees with geometrical designs and cotton tangails are still woven by weavers originally from Bangladesh, and are very popular. Jamdani sarees are expensive and were once worn only by the royalty and the rich. Tangail or Tant saree has its origin in Tangail in Bangladesh. The weavers making tangail sarees settled in Katwa Dhatrigram, Tamaghata and Samudragarh areas in Burdwan district in West Bengal before the partition. Bengal Tant Sarees are ideal for daily wear and have been worn by Bengali women since ages. They are adorned with parsleys, stars, flowers and ... https://www.shimply.com/articles/handloom-tradition-of-west-bengal-2/

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