About 30 years ago, Hindu
refugee weavers from Tangail in Bangladesh settled in these villages.
In response to a demand from the Calcutta
market, the weavers started the so called Jamdani pattern of weaving, where the ground
cloth is of 100 count yarn in both warp and weft.
The warp yarn is first sized with cooked rice
and soaked in a puffed rice mixture. This yarn is then dried, after which it is wound into
bobbins. The ground cloth is usually of grey colour, whereas the figuring weft is coloured
in blacks, reds, greens, violets, blues and pinks.
The Jamdani pattern is then woven in such a
manner that the woven pattern stands out above the saree level. To give this saree its
particular crisp feel, thin khoi is rubbed on the freshly woven portion of the cloth. |
