JamdaniProcessHow to recreate a 100-year old Jamdani today?Shoba NarayanMarch 11, 2019May 20, 2019 by Shoba NarayanMarch 11, 2019May 20, 201955 1884 Darshan Shah of Weaver’s Studio, Kolkata pulls out what looks to be a white roll. It turns out to be a stunning jamdani weave that...
JamdaniWelcomeWelcome to the wonderful weaves of JamdaniShoba NarayanMarch 11, 2019October 23, 2019 by Shoba NarayanMarch 11, 2019October 23, 20198 813 Dozens of my friends in the South– Chennai, Bangalore and Hyderabad– love cotton sarees and especially those from Bengal. They may have their Coimbatore and...
JamdaniPeopleCan you sell a saree for the price of an Hermes bag?Shoba NarayanMarch 11, 2019February 1, 2021 by Shoba NarayanMarch 11, 2019February 1, 202129 1143 ...
JamdaniPlacesWhy are Bengalis (and their textiles) so diverse?Shoba NarayanMarch 11, 2019May 15, 2019 by Shoba NarayanMarch 11, 2019May 15, 20197 784 Cotton sarees abound in India, but the jamdani weave is special. It has been quoted in poetry and displayed in Bollywood movies like Devdas. Why...
JamdaniPeopleThe investment banker turned (woman) politician in West BengalShoba NarayanMarch 11, 2019February 1, 2021 by Shoba NarayanMarch 11, 2019February 1, 20215 1145 Bengal is a land of beautiful women with a distinct dressing style-- white sarees with red borders thrown across the shoulder with a clump of...
JamdaniPeopleGiving a new twist to an old textile traditionShoba NarayanMarch 11, 2019February 1, 2021 by Shoba NarayanMarch 11, 2019February 1, 202112 629 Designer Santanu Das’s atelier lies in a quiet street in the Ballygunge area of Kolkata. When I walk in, Das is getting read for a...
JamdaniPeopleThe cloth that looks like the vapour of dawn.Shoba NarayanMarch 11, 2019June 27, 2019 by Shoba NarayanMarch 11, 2019June 27, 20197 832 Muslin – what magic does the name hold? What mystery lies behind the filaments of this fabric? Who wove it? Who wore it? If the...
JamdaniProcessHow to make natural dyes?Shoba NarayanMarch 11, 2019February 1, 2021 by Shoba NarayanMarch 11, 2019February 1, 20219 832 Natural dyed clothes are healthier for the planet and softer on the skin. In fact, there is a case to be made that natural dyes...
JamdaniPlacesRose Bushes and Mud Paths: a place called PhuliaShoba NarayanMarch 11, 2019February 1, 2021 by Shoba NarayanMarch 11, 2019February 1, 202110 837 Phulia is a clean picturesque town. Getting here takes two hours, depending on time of day. I left Kolkata at 4:30 AM and reached Phulia...
JamdaniPlacesPotatoes and puri: delicious breakfasts in Jamdani countryShoba NarayanMarch 8, 2019February 1, 2021 by Shoba NarayanMarch 8, 2019February 1, 202110 617 It was a magical instrument that skinned vegetables, peeled them and chopped them into pieces....