Sarees of Bangladesh: The bearer of tradition

Saree is not just a form of attire, it is a thing that carries great value for the Bengali women. And there is almost always a backstory to how they got their first sarees. In most cases, the story that each saree is encapsulated in can only be understood through the sentiment that was formed early in their teenage years. Maybe it was when they became fascinated with and started longing over their mother’s saree for the first time. Or maybe it was when they got it as a gift from their significant other. There are various types of sarees in Bangladesh and they all are stunning and elegant.

For women, wearing a saree is also a part of culture and tradition. Only twelve feet long, this marvellous piece of clothing with various designs, colors, and fine weaving has given a distinct identity to every Bengali woman. In today’s blog, we will discuss all the different types of sarees in Bangladesh that are immersed in the tradition and sentiment of countless women.

The History of Saree

Etymology

The word “saree” comes from the Sanskrit word “Satika” which means “a piece of cloth”. According to historians, Aryan civilization started the custom of wearing saree about 5500 years ago. The word ‘Shati’ has been around for a long time in non-Aryan civilizations, so some people think that ‘Shati’ is the main word of saree. However, images from the ruins of non-Aryan civilizations such as the Indus Valley Civilisation and Meher Garh show the existence of saree-like clothing worn by women.

Evolution

The history of how the saree originated is not clear. Historian Ramesh Chandra Majumdar has commented on the dress of ancient India saying “At that time, along with rings, pendants, necklaces, and adhna (blouse), girls used to wear saree down to the ankles.” This was later inferred by examining some of the sculptures from the Pal period in Paharpur. According to this information, saree was the traditional dress in the 18th century. According to another historian Niharranjan Roy, the custom of wearing sewn clothes did not exist in ancient India. The garments were called ‘dhoti’ for men and ‘saree’ for girls.

After gaining the knowledge of sewing, these kinds of single-piece garments were popularized in different areas under different names, such as ’Ghagra’ or skirt, salwar, kurta, kameez, etc. But in some areas, people continue to use this single piece of clothing as it is. These areas are present-day Bangladesh, West Bengal, Orissa, Assam, Kerala, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Bihar, Punjab and Sindh Province and Punjab of Pakistan.

Different ways of wearing saree

The custom of wearing only a saree has long gone. The blouse and petticoat were later added as compulsory elements to the attire. In ancient times, there was no practice of wearing a saree as women do in the present day. The saree of Shakuntala Debi of Kalidash and that of Vidya, the heroine of Bharat Chandra’s poem Vidyasundar, are not the same. The difference is not only in the variation, but also in the way of how they were worn. There were times when women used to wear sarees in two ways, ‘Atpoure’ (twisting only once) and ‘Poshaki’. Later the ‘Kuchi method’ was introduced. Although criticized in Bengali society, educated and modern girls were the first to adopt this method.

Jnandanandini Devi, the bride of Satyendranath Tagore, started the style of wearing saree in the Parsi style, which has now become the common way of wearing saree for all women. The house of Tagore also contributed a lot to set the trend of wearing blouses with sarees. However, the custom of wearing a saree in ‘Atpoure’ style has not gone extinct. Even today, in rural areas, the elderly have continued this trend. Young women of today also wear saree in this way during Pohela Boishakh, Durga Puja, or for weddings.

Ṛta Kapur Chishti, a saree historian and renowned textile scholar has listed 108 ways of wearing a saree in his book “Saris of India: Tradition and Beyond”. Gujarat, Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Orissa, West Bengal, Jharkhand, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, and Uttar Pradesh; he mentioned 14 different ways of wearing a saree from 14 different states.

Different types of sarees

Jamdani Saree

Jamdani
The appeal of jamdani still remains the same

Among all the different types of sarees in Bangladesh, Jamdani is the most unique. This saree is made from corpus cotton with a unique weaving method. The designs and the patterns are embellished with a third kind of thread while weaving jamdani. It is usually woven with a yarn, which has a thread count of 60-70. Jamdani reached its peak during the Mughal period. At that time, both men and women used to wear clothes made of jamdani. Jamdani was also used in the royal court in the 15th and 16th centuries.

The appeal of Jamdani is still untainted. The reason behind this is the geometric pattern in the design. Although the Jamdani industry has lost its former glory, the industry is still breathing in 150 villages across Dhaka’s Rupganj, Sonargaon, and Siddhirganj. Various attempts have been made by different organizations to bring Jamdani back to life. Although Jamdani is being made in some provinces of India, Greater Dhaka is still considered to be the original birthplace of Jamdani. The unique method of weaving jamdani has been recognized by UNESCO as a unique intangible cultural heritage.

Kalka, Angti, Shamuk, Moyur Pekhom, Tajel, Kajal lata, Sandesh, Panki, Panpata, etc. are famous among the various types of Jamdani in Bangladesh. And the design of the texture is divided into three parts: Buta, Jaal and Tesri. Among the textures, Hajar Tara, Motor Dana, Noyon Sukh, Moyur Jora, Kadam Bahar, Jibon Tara, Sankhmati, Kalsi Ful, Goj Moti, etc. are also notable. There are two main types of jamdani. One is called half-silk jamdani and the other one is called cotton-jamdani.

Muslin Saree

Muslin
Entrepreneurs and fashion designers are trying to revive the muslin industry by making all sorts of efforts.

Muslin was made from a very thin thread made from cotton named footy corpus. Yarn with a minimum thread count of 300 was used for hand-woven muslin, which was cut from a thread spinner, resulting in muslin being as transparent as glass. Muslin was used to make clothes for royalty. Clothes made from muslin were so fine that the entire cloth could be inserted through a ring. The name muslin was derived from the present-day Iraqi city of Mosul. Muslin was exported from the Middle East to Europe in the 17th century.

Ibn Battuta, a Moroccan traveler who came to Bengal in the middle of the 14th century, especially praised the muslin made in Sonargaon in his book called ‘Kitabur Rehala’. Chinese writers who came to the region in the 15th century also praised the muslin here. Abul Fazl, a courtier of Mughal Emperor Akbar, did not forget to praise this fine cloth made in Sonargaon. After declaring  Dhaka as the capital of Bengal in the early 17th century, European traders started coming to Bengal. Much of the information about muslin is found in the documents of these trading companies and in the descriptions of contemporary European writers. When the British won the Battle of Palashi in 1757, muslin gradually began to disappear from Bengal.

Currently, various local fashion houses, entrepreneurs, and fashion designers are trying to revive the muslin industry by making all sorts of efforts.

Banarasi and Katan saree

Katan
Everyone wants to keep a katan saree in their collection

Among the various types of sarees in Bangladesh, banarasi and katan are shining bright in their own glory. These two of the most popular sarees are woven silk. Various types of motifs embellish the entire saree using a single color. Silver and golden thread is used to embellish all the motifs. These sarees tend to be heavier than other types of sarees, which highlights the novelty and solemnity.

For any Bengali brides, a wedding outfit is incomplete without red banarasi. On the other hand, katan sarees were the first choice for women for any festival or occasion for a long period of time. Even though the demand for katan sarees are slowly declining currently, many women still like to keep colorful katan sarees in their collection. Nowadays loom weavers of Tangail are also making Banarasi, Full Silk Tangail Katan, Baluchuri Katan, etc. However, if you want to get one for yourself, head to Banarasi Palli at Mirpur 10.

Silk Sarees

Silk
Silk is one of the most popular types of sarees in Bangladesh

In the list of different types of sarees in Bangladesh, ‘silk saree’ means ‘Rajshahi silk’. Rajshahi silk is very delicate and soft. The yarn for this sari is called pupa, which comes from Mulberry silk. There are usually three types of silk: Mulberry silk, Eri (or indie) silk and Tussar silk. Intricately designed mulberry silk or tasar silk is usually worn in festivals. However, some people wear lightly designed mulberry silk and Eri silk for everyday use.

Sarees made from Rajshahi silk are very popular and in great demand abroad. A silk factory and a silk research institute have been set up in Rajshahi for the development of the silk industry. The silk cultivated in this region is supplied throughout the entirety of Bangladesh. Over 1,00,000 people (more or less) are associated with this sector.

Cotton saree

Cotton saree
Bengali women have always looked gorgeous in cotton sarees

Bengali women have always looked unique in cotton sarees. Be it in the workplace, house, or during travelling, most women feel comfortable in cotton sarees. In Bangladesh, loom woven cotton sarees are produced in Pabna, Sirajganj, and Tangail. Apart from that, a small quantity of cotton saree is also produced in Dhaka and Comilla as well. However, when it comes to cotton sarees, the name Tangail pops into mind. Cotton sarees of tangail are renowned and very popular among the Bengali women. There are huge areas across Tangail dedicated to weaving cotton sarees including Pathrail, Bishnupur, Delduar, Bajitpur, and so on.

There are different types of looms for weaving cotton clothes, of which Power Loom, Peat Look, Jamdani, Chittaranjan etc. are notable. In a manual foot loom mechanism, rows after rows yarns are hung and arranged with leads and then are constantly lifted up and down according to the design. There is one sheet of threads at the top and another at the bottom; a cotton saree is made by passing a wrapped thread (Maku) of different colors alternately through the middle of these sheets of threads. Depending on the design, it can take 1 to 10 days to make a saree that is 2.5 feet wide and 12 feet long. Batik, water print, light embroidery as well as hand paint, applique, sequence etc. designs are also very popular on cotton sarees these days. 

Manipuri saree

Manipuri saree
It is popular mainly because of its uniqueness

Manipuri women are renowned for their hand-loom woven cloths. They have their own looms to weave cloths and this is what is used to make manipuri sarees. In Bangladesh, manipuri sarees are woven across Sylhet, Srimangal, and Moulvibazar areas. But the demand for manipuri sarees are more in Dhaka and other areas of the country than in Sylhet. Even tourists coming to visit Sylhet also browse shops selling manipuri sarees at least once.

This comfortable and lightly designed saree is popular mainly because of its uniqueness. But there is not enough supply to meet the demands. This is because the manipuri loom industry lacks the necessary support.

Different types of sari are available in different parts of Bangladesh. The weavers of the northern region are weaving cotton saree day and night. Manipuri sarees from the eastern region are in demand both domestically and abroad. Besides, the silk industry has made its mark in the western divisional region of Rajshahi. Finally, if we look at the capital and its surrounding regions, one can see that Jamdani-Muslin, Benarasi-Katan of today are an integral part of our tradition and culture. This is how different types of sarees in Bangladesh have presented their own tradition and uniqueness in the world.


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