Its visual language has travelled through centuries. Impart points to a sixth-century Ajanta cave painting as possible early evidence of Bandhani-like patterns, while a 15th-century Jain manuscript depicts a robe with similar circular motifs. Textile fragments dating to the 15th and 16th centuries, found in Egypt and traced to Gujarat, also point to established resist-dyeing and block-printing traditions in India. Gujarati Bandhani often leans towards repeating motifs, while Rajasthani versions are known for concentric, multicoloured circles and larger dots called dabbi.
