Bagru

‘Bagru’ A small but economically fast growing village town at a distance of 30 to 35 kilometres from Jaipur. The village town having a population of around 25,000 with male 52% and female 48% the village town is not popular for any palace or fort unlike most towns of Rajasthan but famous for keeping alive the three and half centuries old tradition of textile printingcalled “Bagru Block Printing Art.”This particular art of handblock print on textile is done by a particular community who are known as ‘Chhipas.’ These amazing skill handed artisans are the native of this particular town

Historically these community people travelled from the different part of Rajasthan like Alwar, SawaiMadhopur, Shekhwati part and they settled in bagru around 400 years ago.This community works together in a place called Chippamohalla (printers quarters). Theseskilfull people are expert of hand block print on textiles. Blocks are made from hard woodof teak. Nowadays even there are some block which are made from hard plastic also in use. In the process of printing always natural colors are used which are extract from plant roots,leaves,fruits& barks of plants etc

Wooden block used in this printing process are beautifully crafted and carved these blocks do have beautiful motifs in the form of flowers and birds,trellis design jaal (Net pattern) which were formulated under the Persian influence.

Some designs are geometrical in shapes like Laheria(wave) , chaupad (check), Kanguras (triangular) patterns.

There are several processes to create magical hand block print textiles and these process are rigorous but at the same time ecological and economical even though it involves human creativity on the front.

Mainly there are four steps in this complete process :-

Magical print on indigo or off white base cloth – This can be called as infant step ,in which skill print men from Chippa community with the help of interestingly carved wooden block and thick liquid substance ( a combination of black clay, lime powder, Acacia gum, wheat powder ) so in the process he dips carved part of wooden block in thick liquid and print magical designs on base cloth.Once the whole cloth piece got print on it, then Acacia wood powder is sprinkled on printed part of cloth to absorb extra liquid substance. After completion of this brain and hand tiring process printed cloth is put under sunlight to get dry. Nature play its role in every step of printing

(b) Coloring –Amazing and eye catching step in which complete log of  printed indigo or off white cloth material is dipped and simmered inside well of natural colors like indigo,turmeric, pink, orange, magenta etc. I do personally get surprised to see magic of colors in their color well which is about 10-12 feet deep and radius is about half meter square. The log of clothes comes out from the color well like average looking girl coming out from branded salon. In this step  human labor in harmony of organic material done this job.

(C ) Drying Step –Sun is a natural sanitizer as a result of it after log of clothes are out from color well, these are taken under the bright sunlight, where oxidization process naturally happen and colors do getfixed beautifully. Most important and good to know that Bagru village town is growing fast but even then ‘Chippa’ community people do have a community land area which is surrounded by houses and walls. So hardly animals like cows, dogs can enter over there. Community land is the area where these people do dry their printed and colored fabric logs in geometrically straight lines most of time.Here the most common practice of ‘First come, First Serve.’So that means community people who start early the day getsproper space out of community land.

(d) Finishing Wash – Every splendid art do have finishing process tough andlabor intensive. All the steps in Bagru print textile do adhere with natural way, ecologically balanced and so on in this finishing wash.

The complete sun dried logs of printed fabrics are taken at washing plants which are individually owned as well as shared by community. Where washing is done in cold plain water which is in fact drinkable water. There is no use of soaps,bleach, soda in water. Post washing one more time fabrics are put under the sunlight to get dry. Mainly drying process are taken care by ladies and children while other processes areamazingly done by men.

After completion of all these four steps, printed beautiful fabrics, clothes are taken for ironing work. Where all these clothes are ironed by machines and later on packed to export in the various parts of the world.

So next time when you do buy Bagru block prints fabrics clothes to make yourself looking gracious, handsome, beautiful then call these piece of splendid ecologically balanced Art not clothes and fall in love with those.

Let us join to experience this Art.