Art and Craft in Jamnagar
Bandhini: The Famed 'Art' of Jamnagar
So now, you can guess why Jamnagar, a vital district of Kathiawar, Gujarat has a natural inclination towards colorful motifs, designs, loud artworks. When it comes to arts and crafts Jamnagar indeed has plenty to offer. Tourists visiting the city from all over India too, get an amazing scope to explore the plethora of arts and crafts that are encouraged in the city of Jamnagar. When we speak of Jamnagar arts the very first thing that comes to our mind is the beautiful Bandhni or Bandhej Sarees or Ornis or Turbans whatever. The beautiful crinkly folds of Bandhini art is skillfully mastered by the many artisans who work tirelessly in the small and big Bandej looms in Jamnagar. The Bandej art is what makes Jamnagar famous all over India and even beyond the borders. Many residents of this city are earning their livelihood by working in the Bandej looms or selling finished Bandej outfits, crafts like bags, wall-hangings, cushion covers, table cloths, shawl etc.
If you visit this unique city, the city’s wondrous landscape in the first place will cast an unknown spell on you and then as you start exploring Jamnagar more and more, the city’s colorful folklore, rich history and myths all will make your tour of the city truly memorable. In Jamnagar’s rich colorful history and mythical past rests the seeds of the tradition of its colorful and very successful Arts and Crafts industries that you get to see in Jamnagar today.
Bandej or Bandhini is actually the artwork more popularly called ‘Tie and Dye’. It consists in intricate patterns made from first tying up and next dyeing the cloth process. It was initially done in muslin fabric or silk but nowadays even cotton is used for the Bandhni artwork. The motifs on the Bandhni Cloth really look stunning, resembling intricate tiny flower, small checks, stellar motifs, dots etc. The dyes used on these cloths are generally very loud shades because people of the region prefer loud bright colors. In the historic times vegetable dyes extracted from flowers, fruits, twigs were used. In the many Bandni looms of Jamnagar the same tradition is still retained while in some the vegetable dyes have been replaced by synthetic ones.
Synthetic dyes however are not as bright and sustainable as the vegetable dyes and might cause skin issues for some. The Bandhni art work requires great skill on artisan’s part as well as patience. Not only are they expert in doing the Bandhni artwork. They also have sufficient expertise in embellishing the Bandhni artwork with beautiful mirror work, beaded work. They can brocade the Bandhni creations with mesmerizing golden zari threads that’ll at once capture your attention. In other words each Bandhini creation they develop is a beautiful combination of a riot of colors with fitting embellishments that would make anyone long to have those in his or her closet! In almost all major Shopping malls, centers, bazaars of Jamnagar, Bandni sarees are sold and the price tag isn’t that high even.
Other Pieces of Art & Craft in Jamnagar 
Apart from embellishing the Bandhini cloths with beads, intricate beaded work, shell work, mirror work on even any other fabric type, wall hanging, bags, cushion covers, shawls and many more in order to enhance their visual appeal is a separate decorative craft in itself and has gained in much prominence in Jamnagar of late. Creative wood work, metal work, weaving are the other crafts quite encouraged in Jamnagar and thus you’ll find lots of handcrafted wooden furniture, toys, beautiful metallic items, hand woven shawls flooding the bazaars of Jamnagar.