Manipur Jamdani is a delicate handloom weaving tradition practiced in Manipur, distinguished by the supplementary weft technique used to create fine, floating motifs on lightweight fabrics. While Jamdani is historically associated with Bengal, Manipuri weavers adapted the technique into their own textile vocabulary, integrating it with local aesthetics and loom practices.

The fabric is typically woven in cotton or silk on handlooms. Intricate motifs are inserted manually into the warp using extra weft threads, creating patterns that appear to float on the surface. Designs often include floral forms, geometric arrangements, and stylised motifs inspired by nature and regional symbolism. The textiles are known for their subtle elegance, airy texture, and fine detailing.

Manipuri Jamdani is commonly used in sarees, dupattas, and traditional attire, reflecting both technical precision and regional identity.

Weaving is deeply embedded in Manipur’s social and cultural life, traditionally practiced within households. The adaptation of the Jamdani technique into Manipuri textiles reflects cross-regional exchange and the evolution of loom-based craftsmanship in Northeast India.

The craft aligns with Manipur’s broader handloom heritage, which includes distinctive textiles such as phanek and innaphi. Women weavers play a central role in sustaining this tradition, passing skills through generations.

In recent decades, cooperative societies and state-supported handloom initiatives have encouraged the continuation and promotion of Manipuri Jamdani as part of the region’s textile identity.

Historical textile studies document Jamdani as a supplementary weft weaving technique that spread across regions of the Indian subcontinent, with local adaptations emerging in different weaving centres.

Manipur’s long-standing household weaving tradition is recorded in ethnographic accounts that describe weaving as an essential domestic skill among Manipuri women.

Government handloom development records from Manipur in the late 20th century note the revival and adaptation of Jamdani-style weaving within the state’s cooperative framework, reinforcing its place in regional textile production.

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