Tie a length of cloth just so, dip it in dye, and unfurl a ripple of diagonal stripes. This is leheriya, Rajasthan’s tie-dye of waves.
✨ Fun fact: The name leheriya comes from leher, the Hindi word for “wave” — and the cloth was once the favourite of Rajput men, whose turbans rippled with its colours.
The wave and its name
Leheriya takes its name from leher, “wave” — fine, diagonal lines of colour running like ripples across the cloth. It is a tie-and-dye (resist) art, cousin to Rajasthan’s dotted bandhani — but where bandhani makes spots, leheriya makes stripes.
How the waves are made
A long, thin length of cloth is rolled diagonally from corner to corner into a rope, then bound tightly at intervals with thread before dyeing. Where the thread binds, the dye cannot reach, leaving undyed lines. Unrolled, the cloth reveals its signature diagonal waves. To add more colours, it is untied, re-rolled and re-bound, again and again.
The home of leheriya
Leheriya is a craft of Rajasthan — above all Jaipur, Jodhpur and the towns of the desert. It was worn as turbans (safa) and as the flowing odhni veils and sarees of women, and is especially loved at festivals such as Teej and Gangaur, when its bright waves feel like a celebration of the rains.
Many colours, many names
Panchranga (five-coloured) and satranga (seven-coloured) are the most prized. A related technique, mothra, ties the cloth twice in opposite directions to create a lattice of tiny checks.
The thread we love
What draws us to leheriya is the same wonder we feel at our own looms: that with nothing more than thread, a fold and a patient hand, plain cloth can be turned into a pattern as alive as moving water. Explore our Leheriya collection.
Frequently asked questions
What is leheriya?
A traditional Rajasthani tie-dye technique creating diagonal wave-like stripes. Name from leher, meaning “wave.”
How is leheriya different from bandhani?
Bandhani ties tiny points to create dots; leheriya rolls and binds the cloth to create diagonal stripes.
Sources & further reading
Studies of Rajasthani resist-dyeing; museum documentation on Indian tie-dye textiles.
