Abdul Jabbar Khatri

Born within the community of khatris, who were once renowned for their traditional craft of Bandhani (Tie/Dye), Abdul Jabbar Khatri a man of vision, graduated in Bachelor of Commerce in 1988. And while his peers were leaving their traditional family craft and choosing to work in mainstream clerical and service jobs and careers, he decided to take up the craft of making bandhini.

In 1988, National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad conducted a dyeing workshop for the craftsmen of the Bandhani in the Bhuj. He participated in it out of curiosity and much realized that his choice was right and that indeed the entire craft could be given a new lease of life with introduction of contemporary design ideas, color sensibility and naturalized dyeing techniques.

He has given Bandhani a fresh breath of air. His enterprise generates income for more than 300 women in the interiors and neighboring villages of Kutch. He has won the "Unesco Award of Excellence Award 2006" and was recognized and felicitated for his active participation and contribution to the craft.

Craft: Bandhani (Tie & Dye)

Method and Material:

The term Bandhini refers to the technique of crafting patterned textiles by revisiting parts of a fabric by tying knots on it before it is dyed. This craft is believed to have travelled from Sindh to Gujarat via Rajasthan and further on to Madhya Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. The Kachchh bandhani is renowned for its extremely fine dots and sophisticated sense of composition. Bandhani is worn for both everyday and ceremonial clothing. The social, economic and cultural connotations are determined by the base fabric (Gazzi silk, fine cotton muslin or wool)