Bengal Tant Saree/ Tangail Saree

Skillfully woven using locally-sourced pure cotton, the threads are first thoroughly washed with water to remove contaminants. The cotton is then dried in the sun and sent to be bleached and dyed. After the dying process is complete, the cotton is sent to weavers in bundles to set the threads into bobbins. These threads are wrapped onto a wooden log to add a loom for the saree to be weaved. Weaving is done on a handloom by traversing the longitudinal threads (warp) with the horizontal threads (weft). For a better look and finishing, weavers apply a paste made from sago or popped rice. This adds a sheen to the saree and makes it a little tough. This explains the process of weaving a Tant Saree. These are also known as Tangail sarees as they have their origin in the Tangail district of Bangladesh.

A quintessential six-yard tant sari is characterised by a thick two-to-four-inch border and a decorative pallu. Woven using fine cotton yarn in a variety of floral, paisley and artistic motifs life bhomra (bumblebee), tabij (amulet), rajmahal (a royal palace), ardha chandra (half-moon), chandmala (garland of moons), ansh (fish scales), hathi (elephant), nilambari (blue sky), ratan chokh (gem-eyed), benki (spiral), tara (star), kalka (paisley) and phool (flowers).

The most simple designs can take upto ten to twelve hours to complete. In a tin shed workshop called TANT GHAR in Bengali, the weavers work for more than fourteen hours per day to weave it while it takes about 7-10 days to come alive from spinning to weaving.