West Bengal’s handloom story is one of fineness and narrative — Jamdani muslins so light they pass through a ring, Baluchari silks that tell stories from the Mahabharata, and the everyday Tant cottons of Phulia.
Region · East
West Bengal.
Jamdani muslins, Baluchari narrative silks, Tant cottons of Shantipur and Phulia.
Field guide
Weaves from West Bengal.
File № 06 West Bengal
Jamdani
Hand-woven discontinuous-weft muslin from Bengal — UNESCO-recognised for its diaphanous body and figured motifs.
File № 21 West Bengal
Baluchari
Bengal's narrative silk — pallus that depict scenes from the Mahabharata, the Ramayana, and 18th-century court life, woven on jala looms in Bishnupur.
File № 07 West Bengal
Tant
Bengal's everyday handloom — crisp, breathable cotton from Phulia and Shantipur, woven with a contrasting border and a light, weightless drape.
From the journal
Stories from West Bengal.
