The ‘Bagru Print’ has been one of the most widely used designs for outfits all over the country. It is impossible to imagine an Indian woman’s wardrobe without a Bagru printed Salwar Kurta or Sari. Be it a busy work day or an elegant evening party, a Bagru printed dress can never be wrong. And the centre for making this arduous but lovely handicraft is a small town named Bagru, thirty kilometers from Jaipur. This small village is well-known for its block printing and natural dyeing skill that the local community has mastered over the years.
This simple yet stylish print is not as straightforward as it looks. The delicate lining done on the cloth by the artisans , is quite intricate and grueling . But this is what makes the Bagru design one of a kind. Now, the process involves seven basic steps. Firstly, the washing of the cloth is done to remove any dirt or impurity that may contaminate it. Following this, ‘Harda dyeing’ is carried out which is necessary since it acts like a primer. Now if you are wondering what ‘Harda’ is, then, you must know that it is obtained from the myrobalan plant which gives the fabric the yellowish color. Once the dyeing is finished, it is dried in the sun after which the yellow hue disappears.
The third and the most important stage of the block printing, is of course, printing! Any kind of block printing in the country involves wooden blocks with unique motifs. The cloth is pinned to a table so that when the wooden block is slammed on it and the designs can be imprinted on it perfectly. The motifs used are usually unique geometric interpretations, flowers or leaves that are boldly embossed on the cloth. Every Bagru printed fabric displays three things- a distinctive outside lining, the inside filling and the background- termed as ‘rehk’,’daata’ and ‘gadh’, in the regional language. Finally, the fabric is then washed with cold water to remove dirt or any other impurity. Following this, it is placed in boiling water, rinsed, dried and is then ready.
The Chhipa community of this village town is responsible for keeping this art alive for centuries. They have put the Bagru mark on blankets (razai), ‘lugdis’, ‘fadats’ and other conventional outfits for the Rajasthani people. They are also known for their environment friendly ways to carry out the printing process. For instance, to apply the colour black, horseshoe would be used, and for the colour red, gum paste and alum would be mixed.
The time-honoured and traditional ‘Bagru Print’, is not only prominent among the people of Rajasthan but it has also found its way around the country. Not only this but even the Fashion and Bollywood industry, has exhibited the print from time to time. Fashion designers like, Sabyasachi, have incorporated this block printing art in many of their creations.
To get hold of clothing, with Bagru print, is not very difficult since the entire city is full of it. From kiosks to big brand stores, you can find Salwar kameez, Saris, tops, dupattas etc marked with the Bagru Print. So don’t miss out on this comfort clothing that is affordable as well as appealing!