While many may know the history of Bagru as a village located in the Jaipur district, it is also where a centuries-old print of the same name originated. Although there are no authentic records to verify its exact origin and historical significance, it is said that this print was introduced by a Thakur on the lease.

He decided to make Bagru a centre for block printing, and brought two families from a nearby village to work. The families were locally known as the Chippas, a caste of printers whose name literally means people who stamp/print. This caste community then settled there due to the presence of the ‘Sanjaria’ river. 

The print is visually exquisite as the dark-coloured motifs stand out vibrantly against the lighter, 

cream or dyed background to create a pattern that is appealing to the eyes.

Creating this print is considered to be simpler than others because printers work with natural elements, and no machine or synthetic fabric is called for. Let us see what bagru print is and how it is done.

There are only two steps:

The first step consists of preparing the raw material (cloth) by getting rid of contaminants like starch, dust, and oil by using a paste of cow dung, sesame oil, and soda ash. It is necessary to remove these contaminants since they often restrict the dye from seeping in properly. After the cloth has been washed as well as dried, it is prepared for ‘harda’, a seed which is an essential component in creating the Bagru hand block print as it gives the fabric a yellow tint. The soaking is followed by the cloth being washed and dried once again.

In the second step, the main printing portion takes place with hand-carved wooden blocks which make the printing technique unique and different from other typical methods. In a Bagru print, you may find motifs of geometric shapes, usually circles, which are combined with a little bit of nature - birds, animals, and floral designs. These designs are first engraved on the wooden blocks, and then used to finish the print. 

There are two sub-methods of printing used in the Bagru printing - direct dye printing, and resist printing. In both these methods, the blocks are soaked in mustard oil overnight and then washed, after which the printing starts on a wooden table that has a layer of ply.

In direct dye printing, the patterns are made first with a fresh coat of paste each time, and once that step is complete, the cloth is ready for dyeing. This is usually done by male printers. 

Resist printing is where the cloth is dyed prior to the pattern-making process - something which Bagru is famous for. A paste called ‘Dabu’ is used by women who primarily employ this printing method.

Once the cloth has been washed as well as dried after being printed and dyed, the Bagru block printing is ready to go into stores and worn by men and women all over the globe.