From being woven by craftsmen bit-by-bit in handlooms through a complicated and arduous process to being manufactured mechanically in power looms, the manufacturing process of Tant sarees has gone through a tremendous change. The human touch and individuality of the craftsmen have been replaced by the homogenous and mechanical production by the machines. But it isn’t as if every form of originality has seeped away from the manufacturing process.
Printed, hand-painted, and embroidered designs on the yarn still retain the creative ingenuity of the artists and the base form of the tradition. This has only been made possible through the gradual development of both the manufacturing process and the motifs. This development, however, wasn’t uniform and was in fact subject to various socio-cultural elements. And since these socio-cultural elements were barely related and almost un-identical throughout most of the history, only when the craftsmen settled down in different districts of West Bengal after partition did a trace of uniformity arose.
Varieties of Tant Cotton Handloom
Basically, different varieties of Tant cotton sarees all fall under the same category, yet can be distinguished from each other based on their form, manufacturing process, and designs and motifs done at the borders. And since settlers of different regions were influenced by a different culture, the classification of Tant cotton handloom is best done on the basis of regions where they were woven. Majorly, these regions are all located in West Bengal and include:
- Nadia District
The Nadia district of West Bengal includes both Fulia and Shantipur regions. Shantipur is where the Tant weavers received patronage during the Mughal era and for the first time, allowed the weaving method to flourish and Fulia is where the migrant workers from West Bengal settled down. The weavers from both of these regions originally had very different weaving methods and the close proximity of these two regions has allowed the weavers of these two very different styles to come into contact with each other and develop a style that is uniquely ‘Fulia Tangail’. As one of the most well-recognized forms of Tant sarees, the sarees woven using this style feature huge intricately woven motifs, a fine texture, and animated colours.
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- Burdwan District
The Burdwan district includes the Kalna region where numerous migrants from Tangail region had settled after the partition. Due to this, the weavers in this region follow a distinctly Tangail style of weaving and the sarees therefore resemble a bit of the Fulia region’s style as well.
Hooghly District
This district features three regions known for Tant styles of weaving. These are Dhaniakhali, Begampur, and Atpur regions. Each of these regions has a different characteristic style as well:
- Dhaniakhali
The sarees from this region are characterised by a limited number of motifs, stripped patterns, and the pastel colours of the base cloth. The quality of these sarees is also towards the higher end.
- Begampur
The sarees from this region are characterised by their lightweight and translucence along with deep and vibrant colours. These sarees are also loosely-woven.
- Atpur
Following the traditional style of Tant sarees, this region is known for producing sarees to be worn by the ‘common’ class of people. This is emphasised by the fact that ‘Atpoure’ also means ‘common’. The sarees made in this region, therefore, use regular cotton for the weaving, which leads to the production of coarser sarees.
