September 26, 2026 · Mahesh Agarwal, Founder
Bandhani is one of the oldest tie and dye techniques in India, and also one of the most copied. The name comes from the word bandhan, meaning to tie, and that is exactly what the craft is, fabric tied into thousands of tiny knots by hand before it is dyed. The real thing takes real time to make, which is exactly why a printed copy of the pattern is so common. This guide covers what bandhani actually is, the colours and patterns associated with it, and a simple way to tell hand-tied work from a print.
Bandhani is a resist-dyeing technique done on finished fabric rather than on yarn before weaving, which is what separates it from ikat. Small sections of cloth are pinched up and tied tightly with thread, often thousands of tiny ties across a single length of fabric, and the piece is then dipped in dye. The tied points resist the colour, and once the threads are removed after dyeing, each one leaves behind a small circle or dot where the original fabric colour shows through. A dense, well-planned pattern of these dots forms the larger motifs bandhani is known for. It is traditionally strongest in Gujarat, particularly around Kutch and Jamnagar, and in Rajasthan, where it is also called bandhej.
Red and yellow are the colours most associated with bandhani, especially for bridal and festive pieces, though the craft is worked across a wide range of colours today. The patterns are built from the dots themselves, arranged into larger motifs like waves, flowers, and geometric grids, with the density and spacing of the ties deciding how fine or bold the final pattern looks. A finer, more tightly packed pattern of small dots generally represents more work and more time than a widely spaced, larger-dot design.
This is worth learning before you buy, since printed dot patterns sold as bandhani are common and much cheaper than the real thing.
Feel for texture at the centre of each dot. Genuine hand-tied bandhani often leaves a very slight pucker or raised texture at the centre of each dot, a trace of where the fabric was gathered and tied. A printed pattern is flat, since nothing was physically tied.
Look for small irregularities. Hand-tied dots vary slightly in size and shape from one to the next, since each one was tied by hand. A printed pattern repeats with mechanical precision, every dot identical.
Check the reverse of the fabric. On genuine bandhani, the dye does not sit as a flat, even layer, since the resist happened physically on the cloth rather than as a surface print, and this shows in a less uniform reverse. A printed dot pattern usually sits only on the surface and looks noticeably flatter on the back.
Tying a single piece of fabric can involve thousands of individual knots, each one placed and tied by hand before dyeing even begins. That labour, spread across an entire length of fabric, is what separates the price of real bandhani from a printed dot pattern carrying the same look. A denser, finer pattern represents proportionally more work, which is part of why it is priced higher.
Bandhani's dot patterns already carry a lot of visual texture, so simple, solid-coloured bottoms let the pattern stay the focus rather than competing with another print. Bandhani suits both everyday cotton pieces and richer silk versions for festive wear, and it pairs naturally with oxidised silver jewellery, which suits its traditional, handcrafted character. Our Navratri and Diwali kurti guide covers bandhani specifically as a Navratri favourite, since it is closely associated with Gujarat's garba season.
Be upfront with customers about whether a piece is hand-tied bandhani or a printed dot pattern in the same style, since the price difference is real and an unclear claim costs you a repeat customer the moment they notice. Cotton bandhani in everyday colours works well as a steady line, while a smaller block of finer, denser silk bandhani in red and yellow suits festive and bridal-adjacent customers looking for the craft specifically. Our ikat kurti guide and block print kurti guide cover the related hand-vs-printed checks for other techniques, and the best fabrics for kurtis guide and wholesale buying guide cover the rest.
Bandhani is a tie and dye technique where small sections of finished fabric are tied tightly with thread before the piece is dyed. The tied points resist the colour, and once the threads are removed, each one leaves a small dot that forms part of a larger pattern.
Bandhani is done on finished woven fabric, which is tied and then dyed. Ikat is done on the yarn itself, which is resist-dyed before it is ever woven. Both are resist-dye techniques, but at different stages of making the cloth.
Bandhani is most strongly associated with Gujarat, particularly Kutch and Jamnagar, and with Rajasthan, where it is also known as bandhej.
Feel the centre of each dot for a slight pucker or raised texture, a trace of where the fabric was physically tied. Hand-tied dots also vary slightly in size, while a printed pattern repeats with identical precision and sits flatter on the fabric.
Red and yellow are the colours most associated with bandhani, particularly for bridal and festive pieces, though the technique is worked in a wide range of colours today.
A single piece can involve thousands of individual hand-tied knots before dyeing even begins, and a denser, finer pattern represents proportionally more work. That labour is what separates its price from a printed pattern carrying the same look.
Snehal Creation Inc has been manufacturing women's ethnic wear in Mumbai since 2003, supplying retailers across India with bandhani kurtis at wholesale rates that leave room for a healthy margin.
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Website: www.snehalcreation.com
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बेहतर कुर्तियाँ, बेहतर बिज़नेस, बेहतर भविष्य।
