Design Resource
Leharia Tie and Dye - Jaipur
Leharia Tie and Dye, Jaipur
by
Prof. Bibhudutta Baral, Divyadarshan C. S. and Rohit R Chandak
Introduction
Leharia, A Rajasthani word clearly signifying waveforms of water, from which almost all of its designs are inspired. There are a numerous kinds of resist dyeing known popularly today, like traditional tie and dye, Bandhani, batik etc., one among them being Leharia. Leharia technique of tie and dye is practiced majorly or can even say only in parts of Rajasthan such as Jodhpur, Udaipur, and Nathdwara and mainly in the pink city Jaipur, which is capital of Rajasthan.
Tie and Dye forms of craft are one of the oldest form of coloring fabrics in numerous patterns and designs. Its exact records of existence are unclear though it is believed that it is brought from various regions like Kutch and Sindh by Muslim Khatri cast people to Rajasthan, where it is widely adopted and is in much practice till date by many people including the Muslim Khatri cast. It is a home based craft and does not requires any complex equipments, generally ladies in the household do most of the Leharia tie and dye method in home as a part of their income. The cloth used can be of cotton or silk depending upon the requirement, generally they do dyeing in bulk to reduce the production cost and upon the market requirement, Leharia pattern waveform consists of alternate pattern of colored and white cloth and upon the requirement, artisan colors the cloth in single or multicolor, usually in single color, maroon, red, shades of yellow, orange, blue, pink, and green are used widely and in multicolor theme usually rainbow color theme is followed.
In this technique the cloth piece is twisted and knots are tied to it in a precise gap all over it, with the help of a thread, which will resist the dye thus forming the design of alternate color patches and small gap of whites, which Leharia is famous for Leharia process dyed cloth has always been famous among Rajput clans and local women’s and it still is, majorly for the male, Paggar / Pagri, Rajasthani style of turban is made out the dyed cloth which is considered auspicious and defines dignity of a man, and is usually used during ceremonies such as marriage, puja and other festivals. For female, it is generally used as a dupattas (Scarf) to be worn with saree or with a traditional dress, there are sarees made with Leharia tie and dye process, which is also famous among the people of Rajasthani, especially Marwari community.
