The Meticulous Art of Chundri

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“Chundri” and “Bandhani” are terms with which Tie & Dye, the beautifully dyed fabrics are referred to in Pakistan and India. This craft is one of the oldest in the world for making dotted or striped coloured designs on a fabric. Some fabrics are also designed with motifs of animals and vegetation.

History

The history of tie & dye is not too accurate since archaeological records of garments and fabrics are scarce.

However, there is a piece of evidence that tie & dye was practiced in Peru, in South America, almost 6,200 years ago, in Egypt 4,000 years ago, and in the Middle East 5,000 years ago. Tie & dye also existed on the Silk Road, in Central Asian countries like Kazakhstan. The Japanese version of this meticulous fabric art, known as Shibori, is made with indigo. It has been around for 1,300 years and was popularized in the Edo period. Today, silk kimonos in Shibori are extremely expensive, and some pieces can take up to two years to complete! For over 1,000 years Shibori is also being practised by the Bai community in Yunan, China, where it too is made with indigo in blue and white, and is an essential item in the wedding outfit for women in that region. In the

United States tie & dye became popular during the hippie movement in the 1970s, based on the fabric-printing found in West African countries such as Nigeria.

This ancient technique began in the Indian subcontinent during the Indus Valley Civilisation - a Bronze Age civilisation, lasting from 3300 BCE to 1300 BCE, and in its mature form from 2600 BCE to 1900 BCE. Its sites spanned an area from northeast Afghanistan and much of Pakistan to western and north-western India. Mohenjodaro (in Sindh, Pakistan) and Harappa (in Punjab, Pakistan) very likely grew to contain between 30,000 and 60,000 individuals, and the civilisation may have contained between one and five million people.

In Pakistan, this rich source of culture has been handed down and delicately preserved. There are many towns and cities of Sindh and the Punjab where Chundri is made. A variety of different colours come together on dopattas and clothes that hang outside the various shops and workshops where Chundri workers dyeing cloth over steaming and bubbling cauldrons of colourful dye are not an uncommon spectacle.

What is in a Name?

In Pakistan the words Chundri (tie & dye) and Chunri are often used interchangeably, though the latter is a Punjabi language word for a stole or dopatta (also called chunni in Punjabi), which is worn over a shalwar qameez.

The name Bandhani is commonly used. The word is derived from the Hindi/Urdu word ‘bandhan’ which means to tie.

Technique

Chundri is a form of resist dyeing. Batik is also resist dyeing, but unlike its use of wax, Chundri is a technique of patterning fabric by tying parts of it in different ways to prevent the penetration of dyes. Several portions of fabric are plucked by fingernails followed by tying a tiny portion of it with thread (some workers also use a pebble or grain and then tie the fabric around it), and then dipping in dye. After the dye is completely dried, the knots or nodes are unwound to expose striking dotted designs and geometric patterns.

Traditionally, Chundris are done on cotton and silk. However, various other materials like cotton silk, chiffon, georgette, etc. are also experimented with. The product range also varies from dopattas and sarees to stitched or unstitched garments like qameez, kurtas and skirts. Some women wear Chundri as bridal wear, in particular for their Mehndi event, and for many years now the young and old men accompanying the groom also don colourful Chundri dopattas around their necks, thus making the occasion appear colourful and festive for both genders.

Although there is no tool required for the process, in some places the craftsmen wear a metal ring with a protruded point to facilitate the lifting of cloth for tying. Repeated tying and dyeing is carried out from anywhere between two to several colours. One begins with the lightest colour and goes to the darkest. After the dyeing is over the cloth is dipped in a solution of castor oil and dried. The pattern fully appears when the knots are untied. The traditional colours used were indigo, turmeric, and alum but nowadays different type of chemical dyes are used.

In a nutshell, the basic process has the following steps: a. Washing and cleaning of materials b. Printing of the motif c. Folding of the fabric into four or more layers before tying d. Tying of the motifs e. Dipping of the textile in the lightest colour f. Removal of the knots and then dyeing in the next darker colour g. Renewal of the tying and dyeing with the darkest colour h. Washing of the fabric i. Opening the knots

The Chundri Market

Lately, in Pakistan, there has been a resurgence of interest in traditional handicrafts, and Chundri has also got a boost. The social media has definitely facilitated this trend, allowing local artisans to connect with domestic buyers as well as buyers in different countries. However, these ventures are mostly organised by individuals but not taken up by the government as a tool for development or cultural conservation, which is a shame. Whether it is Chundri, or any other Pakistani handicraft, the state should actively promote them for posterity as well as for economic benefits.

About the Author

Rumana Husain is a writer, artist and educator.

She is the author of two coffee-table books on Karachi, and has authored and illustrated over 60 children’s books. Four of her books have won awards in Pakistan, Nepal and India. She has been a contributor to various newspapers and magazines, and written hundreds of articles, travelogues, art and book reviews, and has also conducted numerous interviews in the print and electronic media.