Sirajganj handloom lungi

The story

The lungi, a tube of cloth wrapped and tucked at the waist, is worn at home, in the field, at the market and at Friday prayers across Bangladesh. A good one is cool, soft and hard-wearing, and its checks or stripes are woven from yarn dyed before weaving, so the pattern goes right through the cloth rather than sitting on the surface. New lungis are a standard Eid gift, and weaving districts work flat out in the weeks before each Eid.

Sirajganj's weaving belt along the Jamuna, especially Belkuchi, Shahjadpur, Ullapara and Enayetpur, produces a large share of the country's handloom cloth, and its lungis are sold through haats such as Sohagpur in Belkuchi and the Shahjadpur cloth market. The neighbouring Bera and Santhia areas of Pabna share the same tradition, and "Pabna lungi" is a familiar name in shops. In April 2025 Sirajganj lungi received GI registration certificate number 45, on the same day as Sirajganj gamchha.

Other districts are just as proud of their lungis. Kumarkhali in Kushtia, a river port on the Gorai since colonial times, is famous for lungis woven on thousands of handlooms and power looms in villages such as Panti and Shilaidah. Narsingdi is home to Baburhat, often described as the country's largest wholesale cloth market, and to several of the best-known lungi brands. In every one of these areas power looms have taken over much of the work, so "from Sirajganj" or "from Kumarkhali" does not by itself mean handwoven.

How to spot the real Sirajganj handloom lungi

Look at both sides of the cloth: a woven check looks the same on the back as on the front, while a printed lungi is noticeably paler on the reverse. A handloom lungi has a soft, slightly uneven texture, small irregularities in the checks and a selvedge that is not perfectly straight; a power-loom lungi is flawlessly regular, often heavier and stiffer. Count matters too: sellers describe lungis by yarn count, and higher counts are finer and smoother. Rub a damp corner on white cloth to check the dye, and avoid lungis that feel slippery or shiny, which suggests polyester blended into the cotton. Many good lungis come unstitched or with a single seam; check the stitching is even and secure.

Buying tips

Price depends on cotton quality, yarn count, handloom or power loom, size and the brand or workshop. Ask the seller where it was woven, whether it is handloom, the count, the length and width, and whether it is already stitched. Lungis are often sold in sets of two or four, which works out cheaper for Eid gifts.

On Midmart each shop sets and charges its own delivery, so a lungi from one shop and a gamchha from another arrive as two parcels with two charges. Midmart is not the seller: it does not take payment or carry parcels, and the seller agrees both with you directly. Before Eid, ask how long delivery will take, as weavers and couriers are busiest then.

Keeping it fresh

Wash new lungis separately the first couple of times in cold water, as yarn-dyed checks can still bleed. Use mild detergent and avoid bleach. Dry in the shade or soft sun, turned inside out to protect the colours, and iron on a cotton setting if you like it crisp. Store dry and folded; cotton left damp in the monsoon picks up mildew and smells. If you keep naphthalene in the cupboard, wrap it in paper so it does not touch the cloth.

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Shops from where it is made

No shop from Narsingdi, Pabna, Sirajganj, Kushtia is on Midmart yet.

Questions about Sirajganj handloom lungi

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