While the exact origin story of the Bagh print is unknown, it’s believed that it is over 1000 years old. The traditional printing technique has been passed through generations in various families. Historians have noted that it’s possible for the print to have migrated with travellers from Jawad, a village in Madhya Pradesh, or printers from Rajasthan. It is also possible that Chhipas of the Muslim Khatri community travelled to Madhya Pradesh from Larkana in Pakistan’s Sindh province. Although their reasons for migrating across the Indus are unclear, due to the proximity of the Bagh river, there’s ample water supply for washing fabrics and processing natural dyes.

Besides that, the river’s water’s chemical properties allow dyes to appear more radiantly, making MP’s Bagh print sarees unique and different from others.

During the 1960s, most of the Chhipa community all but abandoned the traditional technique for creating the Bagh print. However, with the perseverance of a select few artisans, the handicraft lived on and became what it is today - a true lineal beauty.

Making the Bagh print involves following three crucial steps - pre-printing, printing, and post-printing.

To start with, pre-printing begins with ‘khara karna’, where the fabric goes through its first wash under running water for two hours. It is beaten on river stones to remove starch and other impurities to ensure a smooth dyeing process. A mixture of rock salt, mengni (goat dung), and castor oil are made to soak the fabric. This is known as ‘mengni karna’. After being pressed, rinsed, and dried at least three times, the fabric is pre-dyed with ‘harara’ for an off-white base colour. The print’s signature colours - black and red, look vibrant on this base, making it an essential addition to the process.

The next step is printing with hand-carved wood relief blocks, on which dyes are applied by hand. Red and black are the most popular dyes, but mustard yellow, khaki, and indigo are also used in the Bagh print sarees. These shades are obtained from natural resources like plants, fruits, and flowers. Pigments like alum and ferrous sulfate are mixed with tamarind seed powder to make red and black colours. Other colours are made with dhavdi and indigo leaves or pomegranate rinds. 

Wooden blocks, called 'bilals', used for printing are now made from teak or sheesham sourced from Gandhinagar, Jaipur, and Pethapur. Depending on the intricacy of the design, the blocks take anywhere from a day or week to finish carving. They are soaked in oil for a few days to protect and strengthen against warping and insects. 

Moving forward, the task at hand is to apply the perfect amount of dye to the block. A bamboo mesh called 'kartali' is wrapped in wool and prepared to float in a wooden reservoir filled with a dye known as 'palea'. This lets the dye seep through and pass on when the printing block is set on top. The fabric to be printed on is spread over a 'Farsi', a red sandstone table layered with extra cloth for levelled printing. An experienced artisan can produce up to five yards of fabric in three hours or less. However, the time taken is often affected by the printed design's complexity.

After the printing is complete, it is left to rest for a minimum of 8-14 days so that the fabric completely absorbs the dyes. Once rested, it's thoroughly washed with the river water and beaten against river stones for twenty minutes to remove any excess dye. This procedure is called 'bichalna' and is done with meticulous attention to avoid smudges/stains that will permanently ruin the print. Thereafter, in a process called 'bhatti', finishing touches are added to the fabric once it has been boiled in a solution of water, dhavda flowers, and alizarin. As the temperature of this solution increases slowly over a period of four to six hours, the colourfully develops. Subsequently, the final fabric is bleached and washed thrice before being ready to become a garment or accessory.