An Indian woman’s closet is incomplete without streams of colourful scarves called dupatta or churni cascading in one corner. Among these, bandhani mirror work dupatta is a standout, and we will unveil the secret of this beauty today and tell you how to style it in a plethora of ways.
History
Historians are of the opinion that the existence of the art form dates back to the Indus Valley Civilization as early as 4000 B.C. Evidences of bandhani have been excavated in Egypt, and there has been numerous mentions of this handicraft in the celebrated literary works of IbnBatuta, Barra’s Harshacharita as well as Alexander the Great. Miniature paintings from the 16th century, as well as the illustrations on the walls of Ajanta Caves, which date back to the 6th century, give us a peek into this ancient art form of dyeing textiles.
Procedure
The art of Bandhani hails from the Khatri community of Gujarat. In the present day, most of the bandhani dupattas are made with painstaking patience and skilled hands of craftsmen in Rajasthan, Gujarat, Sindh, Parts of Punjab, and Tamil Nadu. Quality silken fabrics are pinched and tied tightly with thread to create a myriad of patterns. Then they are dip dyed. Once the fabric is ready, it is stretched with hands to take of the ties and reveal the dots of white that make the design.
If you are planning to get yourself one of these vibrant beauties, then make sure to go for the ones which make use of good quality silk and also have some shimmering mirror work on it to make an even more gorgeous statement.
Styling tips
- One of the easiest ways to perk up an all-white churidar and kurta combo is with the addition of a brilliantly coloured bandhani dupatta around your neck. However, if you are going for a special event, then there is no harm in trying a different, more dramatic drape with maybe a white regal anarkali suit. Create an effortless look by draping and pinning the dupatta to one of your shoulders and resting the other end on your arms casually.
- Create a unique saree look by draping a plain solid coloured saree, like black, in the usual nivi style. Then take the colourful dupatta and rest it on the vacant shoulder. It will not only add some pop of colour to an all-black look but also add a ton of grace to a simple saree look.
- You can transform your casual tank top and skinny jeans look if you know how to style a bandhani dupatta. You can simply throw it around your neck like a scarf or tie it into a cool shrug. To turn it into a shrug, fold your bandhani dupatta into half. Take the two top corners and tie them into a knot. This will create two armholes when you unfold the dupatta from centre where you created the knot. And voila! Your easy 2 min dupatta shrug is ready to roll.