The bandhani heartland of Gujarat, a dense bazaar in old Jamnagar where tie-dye workshops and silver shops trade beside one another under the Darbargadh palace walls.
Chandi Bazaar and the lanes around it form the old commercial quarter of Jamnagar, on the Saurashtra coast in the Gujarat region of India, beneath the walls of the Darbargadh palace of the Jadeja rulers. Chandi means silver, and the bazaar is still lined with silversmiths and silver-vessel merchants, but Jamnagar's greater claim is bandhani. The water and climate here are held locally to produce the brightest and most colourfast reds in Indian tie-dye, and the city's Khatri workshops turn out bandhani worked in some of the finest knots anywhere, with thousands of individual ties on a single dupatta. Whole families work the tying, women and children binding the cloth over a fingernail guard before the piece goes to the dyer, and the untying at the end reveals the pattern. Visitors can buy bandhani dupattas, sarees, turbans and yardage in the bazaar, and some workshops will show the tying and dyeing stages on request. The surrounding lanes also hold brassware, bangle and kite shops, and the Willingdon Crescent arcade nearby is a distinctive piece of colonial-era town planning. The quarter keeps an afternoon break and closes broadly on Sundays, and traffic in the old city is heavy, so arriving on foot or by auto-rickshaw is far easier than driving.
| Hours | Mon-Sat roughly 10:30AM-8PM with an afternoon break; largely closed Sunday |
|---|---|
| Price | Bandhani dupattas INR 800-6,000 (approx USD 8.30-62.50); fine bandhani sarees INR 4,000-30,000 (approx USD 42-313) |
| Address | Chandi Bazaar, near Darbargadh, old city, Jamnagar, Gujarat 361001, India |
Location
Chandi Bazaar, near Darbargadh, old city, Jamnagar, Gujarat 361001, India
22.4707, 70.0577 View on map
Highlights
- Gujarat's finest bandhani tie-dye, worked in thousands of individually tied knots
- Silversmiths and silver-vessel merchants that give the bazaar its name
- Workshops where tying and dyeing can sometimes be seen on request
- Set beneath the walls of the Darbargadh palace of the Jadeja rulers
- The curving Willingdon Crescent arcade a short walk away
Tips for visiting
- Ask for hand-tied bandhani specifically; printed imitation is widely sold alongside it
- The knots on genuine bandhani leave the cloth slightly puckered until it is stretched
- Shops close for an afternoon break and broadly on Sundays
- Arrive on foot or by auto-rickshaw; old-city driving and parking are difficult
- Silver is sold by weight against the day's rate plus making charges
When to visit
Late afternoon from about 4:30PM once shops reopen after the afternoon break; November to February for comfortable Saurashtra temperatures.
Accessibility
Congested old-city lanes with uneven surfaces and stepped shop entrances limit wheelchair access, and the afternoon closure means the quieter hours are also the hours when shops are shut.
Frequently asked questions
Why is Jamnagar known for bandhani?
Local water and climate are credited with producing exceptionally bright and colourfast reds, and the city's Khatri workshops work some of the finest knots in Indian tie-dye, with thousands of ties on a single dupatta.
How can hand-tied bandhani be recognised?
Genuine hand-tied cloth stays slightly puckered until stretched, the dots vary a little in size, and the reverse matches the face. Printed imitation is flat and perfectly regular.
What does Chandi Bazaar mean?
Chandi means silver. The bazaar is named for the silversmiths and silver-vessel merchants who still trade there alongside the textile shops.
Can visitors watch bandhani being made?
Some workshops will show the tying and dyeing stages on request. The tying is usually done at home by families rather than in shopfronts, so it is worth asking rather than expecting a demonstration.