Resist dyeing in India
Tie dyeing is a resist process: parts of a cloth are tied tightly so the dye cannot reach them, leaving undyed areas that form a pattern once the ties are removed. India has several long-standing traditions built on this idea. The two best known are bandhani and leheriya. The word bandhani comes from a Sanskrit root meaning “to tie”, and it names both the technique and the finished cloth.
Bandhani
Bandhani is made by pinching up tiny points of fabric and binding each one tightly with thread before the cloth is dyed. When the thread is removed, each bound point shows as a small ring or dot of the original cloth colour, surrounded by dyed ground. The result is a textured, speckled surface.
How it is typically made:
- Marking the design. In some workshops the design is drawn on stencil paper, punched with a needle, and transferred to the cloth with a dye that fades.
- Tying the dots. Workers pinch small areas of cloth and wrap thread around each one, often in one continuous run from dot to dot. The simplest and most widely used motif is the small dot, sometimes called a bindi.
- Dyeing. The tied cloth is placed in the dye bath and worked so the dye penetrates the fabric but not the tied areas.
- Drying and untying. After dyeing and drying, the ties are removed, often by pulling the cloth at both ends, to reveal the pattern.
For multicoloured pieces, tying and dyeing may be repeated in stages, usually working from lighter shades to darker ones. Bandhani is worked on fine cotton and silk, and sometimes wool. In Kachchh, in the state of Gujarat, the Khatri community is traditionally associated with extremely fine dot work. Natural dyes such as indigo, madder and weld have long been used, though synthetic dyes are common too.
The word bandanna is thought to derive from this tradition. Spotted cloths exported from India to the West were later imitated in print by European manufacturers.
Leheriya
Leheriya (also spelled lehariya or leheria) takes its name from a Hindi word meaning “waves”. Instead of tying individual dots, the cloth is rolled, usually diagonally, around a pole or into a tube and bound at intervals. Dyeing then produces diagonal stripes. Untying some sections after the first dye bath, and re-tying others, allows additional colours. Re-rolling the cloth from the opposite corner and dyeing again can produce a chequered effect.
Related resist-dye traditions
India also has ikat, in which threads are tied and dyed before weaving, so the pattern forms as the cloth is woven rather than after. It uses the same resist principle but a very different process. Other countries have their own tie-dye traditions, such as Japanese shibori, which is a separate craft with its own techniques.
What is the difference between tie-dye and bandhani?
Tie-dye is the general term for resist dyeing with ties, folds or bindings. Bandhani is a specific Indian form of it, characterised by many tiny, precisely tied points that make small dots, usually on fine fabric. Modern Western tie-dye often uses big folds, twists or rubber bands to create spirals and bold bursts of colour, and it usually works on thicker cotton such as T-shirts. The skill in bandhani lies in the fineness and regularity of the tying.
What is the easiest tie-dye technique?
For beginners, simple methods such as scrunching or twisting a cloth and securing it with rubber bands are generally the most forgiving. Of the Indian techniques, leheriya-style rolling and tying is a reasonable first step, because it asks for fewer individual ties than bandhani. Tiny bandhani dots take patience and practice.
Where did tie and dye originate in India?
Reliable details about the earliest history are hard to pin down, and sources differ. What can be said with more confidence is that bandhani and leheriya are long-established crafts, strongly associated with regions such as Gujarat and Rajasthan, and that resist dyeing is practised in many parts of the world.
Try a bandhani-style dot pattern at home
This is a simple adaptation, not a replica of the traditional craft.
- Pre-wash a small piece of plain cotton or a cotton scarf to remove finishes.
- Pinch a tiny point of fabric and wrap strong cotton thread around it several times, then knot. A single bead or dried pea inside the fabric can make the dot rounder.
- Repeat in a regular grid or ring. Neater, closer dots look more bandhani-like.
- Dye following the instructions on your chosen dye, using gloves and protecting your work surface.
- Rinse, remove the ties carefully with small scissors or a seam ripper, and let the cloth dry.
Fabric and dye tips
- Natural fibres such as cotton, silk and wool take dye well; check that your dye is made for the fibre you chose.
- Tight, thin thread makes sharper dots; loose ties let dye leak in.
- Follow the dye manufacturer’s safety directions, including ventilation and gloves, and keep dyeing equipment separate from food equipment.
- Wash finished pieces separately at first, as some dyes can run.
Frequently asked questions
Is bandhani the same as tie-dye? It is a kind of tie-dye, with its own tradition and style.
Can I use silk? Yes, but use a dye suitable for silk and handle the wet cloth gently.
Why do the dots look uneven? Differences in tying tightness and thread thickness are the usual cause.