Bandhani and Block Printing: India's Tie-Dye and Hand-Stamped Cloth

By the Hindi Haveli team · October 28, 2026

Look closely at a bandhani scarf and you will see thousands of tiny dots, each one tied by hand before the cloth was dyed. Look closely at a block-printed bedspread and you will see the same flower repeated again and again, each one stamped by hand with a carved wooden block. These are two of India's most loved textile crafts, and they are still made by families who have practiced them for generations.

This guide explains how bandhani and block printing are made, where they come from, the Hindi words that go with them, and a surprising fact: English borrowed some of its fabric words straight from these crafts.

Bandhani: India's tie-dye

What is bandhani?

बांधनी (baandhanee) comes from the Hindi verb बाँधना (baandhnaa), "to tie." It is a tie-dye technique in which artisans pinch up tiny points of cloth and wrap each one tightly with thread. When the cloth is dipped in dye, the tied points resist the color. When the threads are removed, each one leaves a small dot of the original color.

A single bandhani dupatta or saree can have thousands of these dots, arranged into patterns of flowers, waves, dancers, elephants or simple grids.

Where it comes from

Bandhani is most famous in Gujarat, especially in the Kutch region and the city of Jamnagar, and in Rajasthan. It has been made for centuries. Bright red, yellow, green and deep blue bandhani is worn at weddings and festivals, and some communities have special bandhani designs for brides.

How bandhani is made

Design: The pattern is marked on white cloth, often with a washable dye stamped from a wooden block.
Tying: Artisans, very often women working at home, pinch up the cloth at each dot and tie it tightly with thread. Some keep a long fingernail or wear a small metal ring with a point to lift the cloth. This is the slowest step and can take weeks for a large piece.
Dyeing: The cloth is dipped in the lightest color first. For more colors, more areas are tied and the cloth is dyed again in darker shades.
Opening: When the cloth is dry, it is pulled open, and the threads pop off to reveal the dots. Many bandhani pieces are sold still tied, crinkled and bumpy, so the buyer has the joy of opening them.

Leheriya: waves of color

A close cousin of bandhani from Rajasthan is लहरिया (lahariyaa), named after लहर (lahar), a wave. The cloth is rolled diagonally and tied at intervals before dyeing, creating bright diagonal stripes like waves. Leheriya turbans and sarees are especially popular during the monsoon festival of Teej.

Tie-dye words

बाँधना (baandhnaa): to tie
बांधनी (baandhanee): tie-dyed cloth with tiny dots
धागा (dhaagaa): thread
रंगना (rangnaa): to dye, to color
लहर (lahar): a wave
लहरिया (lahariyaa): wave-patterned tie-dye

A word English borrowed

The English word bandanna comes from the Hindi word for this tie-dye craft. In the 1700s, Indian tie-dyed handkerchiefs were sold around the world, and their name traveled with them. So every time someone ties on a bandanna, they are using a little bit of Hindi.

Block printing: stamping by hand

What is block printing?

In block printing, a design is carved into a block of wood, which is dipped in dye and pressed onto cloth by hand. Printers line up each stamp with the last one, so the pattern repeats perfectly across the fabric. A single design can need several blocks, one for each color, printed one after another.

The Hindi word for printing is छपाई (chhapaaee), and a block or stamp is a ठप्पा (Thappaa). The person who carves the blocks is a skilled craftsperson in their own right.

Famous block-printing traditions

Sanganer, Rajasthan: Near Jaipur. Known for delicate floral prints on white or pale backgrounds.
Bagru, Rajasthan: Known for earthy colors and bold patterns, often using natural dyes and a resist made of mud.
Ajrakh, Gujarat (Kutch) and Sindh: Deep indigo and madder red, with complex geometric star patterns, made through many stages of printing, dyeing and washing.
Kalamkari, Andhra Pradesh: Its name means "pen work." Some kalamkari is drawn by hand with a pen and some is block-printed, often showing stories from the epics.

Printing words

छपाई (chhapaaee): printing
ठप्पा (Thappaa): a block, a stamp
लकड़ी (lakaRee): wood
नक्काशी (nakkaashee): carving
नील (neel): indigo
कारीगर (kaareegar): a craftsperson, an artisan

More words English borrowed

Block-printed cotton from India was hugely popular in Europe in the 1600s and 1700s. That trade gave English several words:

Chintz comes from the Hindi word छींट (chheenT), meaning a spotted or printed cotton cloth.
Calico is named after Calicut, the old name of Kozhikode, a port city in Kerala where traders bought cotton cloth.
Dungarees come from dungri, a coarse, thick cotton cloth associated with a village near Mumbai.

So the next time you wear dungarees or see a chintz armchair, you are looking at a long history of Indian cloth.

Natural dyes

Many traditional printers and dyers use natural colors, and these words are useful:

Natural colors

हल्दी (haldee): turmeric, for yellow
नील (neel): indigo, for blue
अनार (anaar): pomegranate rind, for yellows and browns
मेहँदी (mehandee): henna, for greens and browns

Supporting the artisans

Handmade bandhani and block prints take days or weeks to make. When you shop, look for handloom or handmade labels, cooperatives, and fair-trade sellers that pay artisans fairly. Machine-printed "block print look" fabrics are common and much cheaper. A real block print often has tiny overlaps or gaps where one stamp meets the next. Those little imperfections are signs of a human hand.

A family project: carve a simple shape into half a potato, dip it in paint, and stamp it in a row on paper or an old T-shirt. As you stamp, say ठप्पा (Thappaa) each time. You have just made your first block print.

A few sentences to practice

यह कपड़ा हाथ से बना है। (yah kapRaa haath se banaa hai.): This cloth is handmade.
मुझे नीला रंग पसंद है। (mujhe neelaa rang pasand hai.): I like the color blue.

हाथ से बना (haath se banaa), "made by hand," is a phrase you will see on labels in Indian craft shops. It is a proud phrase, and a useful one.

Play the free puzzle of the month

Words like धागा, रंग and लहर are perfect puzzle words. Every month we post one Hindi word puzzle that is free for everyone. It takes just a few minutes and is a fun way to keep your new words fresh.

हाथ से बना, दिल से बना: made by hand, made with heart.

Your turn: try it free

Every month one Hindi word puzzle is free for everyone. No sign-up needed to play. Play the puzzle of the month