Jamdani weavers busy eyeing Eid market

Tangail's jamdani sari-weavers have their hands full these days, busily creating contemporary and traditional sari designs in a kaleidoscope of patterns and colours in the lead up to this year's Eid al-Fitr festival. Cotton and silk jamdanis in celebratory tones representing the full range of quality and price are expected to attract thousands of buyers in what is the year's busiest sales period.

“I'm looking to buy several cotton jamdanis in different price ranges for me, my mother and my mother-in-law,” says housewife Rosana Akter from Adalatpara of Tangail town, who is on a day trip to Pathrail village in Deluar upazila, an area known unofficially as the capital of Tangail saris. “I visit Pathrail prior to every Eid to buy saris,” she says, “because here I can choose from a huge range and purchase at very reasonable rates.”

“Most local weavers specialise in producing jamdanis on their handlooms nowadays,” says Raghunath Basak, one of Pathrail's weavers. “It's a tradition that dates back to the age of zamindar landlords when elite families travelled from across the country, actively seeking out this area's distinctive and, back then, rare jamdani styles. Jamdanis themselves developed from an even older local tradition in tant sari weaving.”

By Raghunath's estimate cotton saris will sell this year for between Tk 1,000 and Tk 4,000 while silk pieces can be expected to retail from Tk 2,000 up to Tk 60,000. “To produce a jamdani requires at least three days' work,” he says, “longer for a finer, more intricate piece.”

Tangail's saris are available in a wide range of fabric blends and styles including cotton, jute cotton, silk, soft silk, half silk, indri silk, dotari silk, katan, koda, khaddar, banaroshi, dhansiri, ektari, patabon and more. Indeed, individual weavers commonly produce more than one quality and style.

“Tangail's weavers inevitably offer something new each Eid,” says sari trader Ratan Basak. “They have introduced new colours and designs this year too.” He notes the distinctive embroidery that is often added to sari borders including in traditional Bangladeshi alpona designs. “Bold, festive colours predominate,” he says, “including magenta, ash, red, yellow, orange, violet, blue and green, as well as black and white.”

Tangail's sari industry which is increasingly focused on exports as well as growing domestic demand and employs up to 2.5 lakh workers, brings to the district around Tk 200 crores in sales each Eid season, according to traders at Karatia market in Tangail sadar upazila. “Weavers have already sent a good part of their production to different markets and shopping malls across the country, starting before Ramadan,” one trader remarks. There are approximately 75,000 active handlooms in the district, reports the Tangail Weavers' Rehabilitation Organisation.