Block Prints of Sanganer

Each village in Rajasthan boasts of the Chhipa caste engaging in block printing- be it mud resist or discharge or wax resist process. This stable tradition is still very much in fashion, despite the accessibility of modern techniques like screen-printing. The Chhipas hand over their craft skills down the generations, from parent to child, the expertise remains within the family.

 The beauty of the block print is heavily reliant on water sources; thus the commercial activities sprung near water resources- like Sanganer, Bagru, Akola, Barmer, Jodhpur, etc.
Over time, each center for block printing in Rajasthan has developed its distinguished design style and techniques.
The village of Sanganer near Jaipur has been a major centre for very fine block-cutting and printing. Almost 500 years' old, Sanganeri printing gained high popularity in the 16th and 17th centuries in all European countries with its Calico prints and became one of the major exports of the East India Company.

 Legend has it that it was probably towards the end of the 17th century that this art form developed here. Thanks to the constant wars with the Mughals and Marathas, many printers migrated from Gujarat to Rajasthan. Under the royal patronage, by the end of the 18th century this industry was fully developed in Sanganer.
 The United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) in its report on the Jaipur hand block printed textile cluster, has mentioned, "Shades of black come out best after washing the cloth in the waters of Sanganer. Sanganer motifs are mostly floral based. Fine lines and intricate detailing are specialties of the Sanganeri style."



Products
The principal items printed here include sarees, dupattas, salwar-kameez, bed cover, curtains, scarves, and printed yardages (running cloth material), etc. Both local and imported cloth material are used. At present,’ mulmul’ (cotton voile), ‘latha’ (sheeting fabrics) and cambric etc. are sourced from Jaipur.
  
Motifs
This elaborate work needs expertly cut mirror images blocks to print the usually asymmetrical Mughal style designs. Although Sanganer is well known for producing fine block printed textiles on off white or pastel backgrounds, today a wide range of textiles are produced with both dark and pale grounds.

The Sanganeri Print is visible from small flower motifs like stylized sunflowers, narcissuses, roses, and other flowers of luxuriant foliage like daturas, rudrakshas, and arkas. On Sanganeri ‘chintz’ (printed cloth) usually, yellow, green blue (with different tones) are used as the background.
Various floral designs, geometrical and God figures are included in its prints. Sometimes, folk designs are also found. Finesse in flowers-petal designs, curves and delicacy are the prime specialties of Sanganer prints.

 Apart from flowers, fruit trees of banana, dates, grapes pomegranate etc. have also been recreated in a very attractive manner. In some old prints figures of parrots and fish are also seen. In the traditional Sanganeri prints, the ground is in white or pastel shades with floral cones and sprays scattered with in symmetrical borders. Cloth printing blocks are usually made of 'teak' or 'seesum'. These dyes are printed on a textile by means of a relief covered block( a different block for each color). In India, the blocks are usually 23-30 cm (9-12") square in size.

Jaipur Bed Sheet- Sanganer and Bagru Prints

Rajasthan is renowned for its sparkling art and craft. One of Rajasthan's most popular handicrafts is block printed fabric. The Sanganer and Bagru prints of this state are celebrated all over the country, and have acquired international acclaim as well. They decorate garments, bedspreads, curtains, table linen, and other household decoration items. Apart from the Sanganer and Bagru prints, those of Barmer and Pali are also well-known.

Sanganer Prints :

The block printed textiles of Sanganer became famous in the 16th and 17th centuries in Europe, when the East India Company began to export them in bulk. Today, there are over 154 block printing units in Sanganer, and these employ around 20,000 people. There are around 3000 families engaged in this Rajasthani craft.
The block prints of Sanganer are mostly executed on a white or off-white background, using screen printers or wooden blocks. They are colorful patterns of sunflowers, roses, geometric designs. Sanganer prints are known for their fine and intricate detailing. The artists of this region in Rajasthan use both vegetable and chemical dyes for their creations. Often, they employ the technique of calico printing. In this, the outlines are first printed; only after that, are the colors filled in. These designs are then repeated in diagonal rows. The doo-rookhi style of printing is also popular in Sanganer. This is printing done on both sides of the fabric.

Bagru Prints:

Jaipur is perhaps one of the most culturally rich areas of Rajasthan. From this city, the Chippas moved to Bagru around 300 years ago. They made it their home, and one of Rajasthan's most important centers of hand block printing .
The Sanganer and Bagru prints are very s
similar, but the latter employ a narrower range of colors. Moreover, unlike the Sanganer prints which are always on a white or off-white background, the prints of Bagru are mostly red and black and blue. The Syahi-Begar prints are a combination of black and yellow ochre or cream. The Dabu prints are created by hiding them from dye, by applying a resist. Bagru prints are characterized by circular designs, as well as linear and floral patterns.
In both the Sanganer and Bagru prints, the colors are picked carefully. Each has a separate significance. For instance, red is the color of love, yellow of spring, indigo of Lord Krishna, and saffron of the yogi (seer). The wooden blocks that are used are made of teak wood. And traditionally, vegetable dyes made of madder, pomegranate rind, indigo, and turmeric are used. These have now been largely replaced by chemical dyes. Often, the fabric is dyed before it is printed.

Jaipur is known for its rich and valuable treasure of fabrics, jewellery, pottery, footwear, paintings, carpets, quilts, cushion covers, wall hanging products, and many more. The list is endless.

 
But among st these items Jaipur is very famous for its Jaipuri quilts. The Jaipuri quilts are the handmade Indian quilts etc. In the whole Rajasthan, quilt-makers have developed a tradition of making warm and lightweight quilts called as the “Jaipuri Razai”. The word “Jaipuri” means “coming from Jaipur” which is the capital city of Rajasthan and the second word “Razai” simply means “quilts”. 


The Lightweight Jaipuri handmade quilts are widely known for its art and functionality from the past many years. The world famous Jaipuri Razai's are designed by hands using the traditional textile making skills of cotton carding and quilting. The cotton which is filled in the Jaipuri quilts is collected after the process of cotton carding. After fully carding the cotton, approx. 100 grams of cotton is used for filling a single quilt. After filling of cotton in quilt, it is stitched with strong and colorful threads. The last work is to stitch the quilt. The quilt-maker uses a sewing machine to stitch the side of the quilts together. This increases the durability of quilts and the user can use the quilts for many years to come.

Thus, now you can enjoy your winter nights in the cozy Jaipuri Razai (Indian Quilts).