Dhonekhali Saree
Dhaniakhali/ Dhonekhali is an administrative
division in the Hoogly district of West Bengal, once known for its very fine dhutis/dhotis. With falling demand for dhutis,
the weavers switched
over to making sarees. The material for dhonekhali sarees is coarser than the ones used in other
varieties of Bengal handloom sarees. The designs of these sarees range from the
simple elegant horizontal stripes (dure-saree)
to intricate ones with fish and conch shell motifs. The jacquard weaving technique is used to make these sarees.
Wearers of dhonekhalis swear by the comfort the textile gives after a few washes. My mother always preferred them over tangails for daily use. The textile being coarser, these sarees are also more durable. Unfortunately dhonekhalis are fast losing favour among buyers. From my experience, I have found that most sellers no longer store these sarees. The dhonekhali weavers are in distress. If not revived through concerted efforts of multiple agencies, we are going to lose yet another beautiful textile heritage.
Wearers of dhonekhalis swear by the comfort the textile gives after a few washes. My mother always preferred them over tangails for daily use. The textile being coarser, these sarees are also more durable. Unfortunately dhonekhalis are fast losing favour among buyers. From my experience, I have found that most sellers no longer store these sarees. The dhonekhali weavers are in distress. If not revived through concerted efforts of multiple agencies, we are going to lose yet another beautiful textile heritage.
Such a pity that these arts are fading. Can't we do something to revive it?
ReplyDeleteI think state support can go a long way to save many of our heritage.
ReplyDeleteThank you for this write up. I recently acquired a dhonekhali saree and was looking for some education on this weave. Your post was precise and informative. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteHi Shalini, thank you for your comment:)
ReplyDelete