Bhagwandas Retail Private Limited

Ejipura, Bangalore, Karnataka

The highly skilled and patterned ajrakh block-printing came to Kutch from Sind 400 years ago when the Muslim Khatris (artisans who apply color to cloth) settled in the village of Dhamadka. Against the dull canvas of the Kutch desert, the rich and bold colors of the textiles are strikingly displayed. The millennia-old tradition of weaving and dyeing textiles originated in the Indus Valley region in the North West of India and is still practiced in abundance today. The cloth is washed in water to remove any finish applied in the mill or workshop. It is then dyed in a cold solution of myrobalan (powdered nut of the harde tree). A resist of lime and gum arabic is printed onto the cloth to define the outline of the design. This is known as rekh. The cloth is finally dyed and washed off.

Tussar silk is a type of wild silk produced primarily in the states of West Bengal, Bihar, and Jharkhand. It is produced from silkworms called Antheraea mylitta that feed on the leaves of the arjun and asan plants (each variety of silk is distinguished by the type of silkworms producing the silk yarn along with the leaves they eat). It reflects the exotic and untamed spirit of the wild silkworm producing it, in its feel, colour and sheen. Traditional, yet trendy, Tussar silk sarees have an inherent beige or cream shade with a golden sheen. They are often dyed to reflect more vibrant colors. Tussar sarees from Bengal are adorned with a variety of woven or embroidered patterns ranging from classic to modern themes.

Ikkat is an elaborate dying process done with silk or cotton yarns. The result is a piece of cloth made of colorful patterns. Ikkat is mainly practiced in multiple states in India, namely Orissa, Telengana and Gujarat to name a few. In fact, Ikkat has been practiced in multiple countries other than India as well since long. Ikkat patterns are dyed and bound to the threads before the cloth is woven. This differentiates it from the Tie and Dye process where the fabric is woven in the first place after which it is resist-dyed.
The technique which is known today as Ikkat had its origins in different parts of the world such as South East Asia, Central Asia, South America and West Africa. Ikkat is one of the most ancient techniques of handloom fabric crafts. The term Ikkat is a derivation from the Malay word Mengikkat, means to tie or to bind.
In India, Ikkat dates back to the 12th century when artisans from the Patan region of modern day Gujarat migrated to different parts of the country and propagated the craft.

The creativity of handloom weavers of eastern India is unparalleled in the form of the revolutionary Ghicha silk that is actually a by-product of Tussar silk. Produced in eastern states of India like Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand and Bihar, the yarns of Ghicha are obtained from the cocoons of Tussar that cannot have the silk yarns reeled naturally. These cocoons get ruptured and the silk is then reeled manually. This is the reason why Ghicha yarns are short and the sarees made from them have uneven and slubby texture, giving them a raw sense of appeal. Characterized by the same moisture and air permeability properties of cotton but with a lustrous sheen like silk, these sarees are comfortable to wear and easy to maintain. Ghicha sarees bring in a beautiful and rustic charm to a womans wardrobe when added to her collection.

Khadi or Khaddar is a term for hand-woven cloth using handspun yarn threads from India, Bangladesh and Pakistan, mainly made from cotton. The cloth is usually woven from cotton and may also include silk, or wool, which are all spun into yarn on a spinning wheel called a charkha. It is a versatile fabric that has good thermal absorbent property where it remains cool in summer and warm in winter. To improve the look, khadi is sometimes starched to give it a stiffer feel. It is very widely accepted in fashion circles and international markets.

Linen cotton is a blended fabric with linen as half the threads and cotton as the other half of the threads used. It is woven with either parallel linen threads having a criss-crossing pattern of cotton threads or cotton threads criss-crossed with linen threads. Linen cotton is widely used in home furnishing as well as garmenting. This fabric is woven mainly in the clusters of Bhagalpur, Bihar and Phulia, West Bengal due to the ready availability of linen yarn in these places.

This style of weaving linen, as the name suggests, has its roots in Bhagalpur in Bihar. Bhagalpuri artisans weave both linen sarees as well as fabrics. With minimal designs and motifs, this style in truth is the perfect example of simple and elegance. The sarees usually have two or three shades of color and have either small geometric designs or floral motifs printed on the borders.