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Lehariya- The Tie & Dye Traditional Culture of Rajasthan

Leheriya is a pure traditional concept of tie and dye in Rajasthan, India.  It has a variety of bright colors, with unique designs. The actual meaning of Lehariya comes from the word "Leher" which indicates “Wave”. It is a tie-dye practice that comes out in diagonal stripes, which look like waves on the fabric.

Lehariya is not just a women's attire, but completely defines an era itself. It is a combination of design, draping style, and colors. It not only tells a women's sense of dressing but also says the place where she comes from.  Its fabric also reveals the climatic condition of that specific area. The Leheriya saree from Rajasthan is one such form.

What are the Lehariya Sarees?

Mita Kapoor, one of the most famous personalities from the textile industry wrote- Lehariya is a form of a zig-zag pattern of unique and irregular colored stripes.  It can be visualized as the form of flowing water.

Which technique followed for preparing a Lehariya saree?

As there are diagonally stirpes are designed on fabric. To create diagonal stripes, the artisans of Rajasthan follow a  special method that resists- dyeing. In this process, the fabric is rolled up diagonally length-wise and then tied tightly. Before the dying process, you will have the folds formed and it looks like waves on the fabric.

The light delicate fabrics are used for Lehariya, such as thin cotton voile, fine silk, and chiffon are mostly preferred. The fabric is wrapped on a wooden pole in a way that allows the colors to penetrate through the rolled or wrapped cloth. After that, the Lehariya Saree are dyed with natural colors and undergo washes. At the final stage, the Lehariya Sarees are cleaned with indigo or alizarin.

 Hence, the coarse new Lehariya Sarees are manufactures in this way. In Hindu culture, numbers five and seven are considered spiritual numbers. There are two patterns of Lehariya sarees, are  "Pancranga" (Five colors) and "Satranga" (Seven Colors) are known as auspicious colors.

Lehariya Festival- We all know, Rajasthan is the land of festivals. Every Savan month, there is a buzz about the Lehariya festival. Women in Rajasthan wear this beautiful Lehariya in different forms. Especially in Teej, women in Rajasthan are used to celebrate this festival by gifting this seamless attire to each other. 

The light and vibrant tones of Lehariya are the best attire for the spring and summer seasons. The colorful fabric in the form of a  Lehariya Dupatta can be used with a solid-colored suit. Even though, it can also be suited up with an indo-western outfit to add more vibrancy.

Lehariya Sarees are easy to maintain, like other fabrics georgette, chiffon, or cotton fabric. But one problem that most women face is color bleeding. To overcome this problem, keep it overnight in a bucket of water and add one teaspoon of salt. It will help you in uniting the color.