Dhakai Jamdani

For saree-lovers, one of the most sought after choices among sarees is undoubtedly the Dhakai Jamdani. This type of sarees belong to Dhaka, Bangladesh and are one of the most splendid kinds of cotton sarees. Originally made in Dhaka before partition, this type of sarees is one of the favorite sarees of Bengals in all occasions—be it wedding parties, any Puja and even college farewells. EXIN Fashion store offers you some of the best collection of Dhakai Jamdani in town.

Dhakai derives its nomenclature from Dhaka, where it was originally spun, and Jamdani refers to the typical design that the sari adorns. The unique hand technique of weaving was called Jamdani in the old days, while the weave was called ‘Dhakai’.

The sensitive weavers and artisans of this art form took inspirations for their weave designs from the life around them, from simple things such as a broken comb to things in the nature such as plants, the earth, the stars or the solar system.

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, wrote: “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 colored stripes and patterns we find on Indian cotton cloths,” said writer 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 (321-185 BC) or even earlier.

Dhakai Jamdani is typically transparent and is woven with cotton and Resham-threads. It blends tradition with modern flavor.

The traditional art of weaving jamdani has been declared by UNESCO as an Intangible Cultural Heritage Of Humaity.