Bagru print is a block print done by hand on fabric by artisans of Bagru village, Rajasthan. But the process is not as simple as defined in the first line. The artisans involved in the time-consuming complex technique deliver sophisticatedly beautiful designs on clothes.
Despite facing so many problems throughout the centuries this art has survived to tell its tale. But whether it will see the light of the next few decades depends on how much we can help to grow this ancient art so it can be the leading part of the world's organic and sustainable fashion industry.
We are doing our part of spreading awareness, so let's have a glimpse of the intricate procedure of Bagru printing.
STEP 1 - Block creation: The Sheesham wood is carved by the hand as per the designs drawn on paper. This delicate carving is done entirely by hand which requires patience and profound talent which they have acquired from their ancestors. Once it's ready it is dipped in oil for some days.
STEP 2 - Cloth prep: They have a whole community of washers ( dhobis ) in the village for this. First, they wash the cotton cloth then bleach it. After its dried, in order to make it softer and make block printing easy, they spread it on a table with layers of cloth.
STEP 3 - Preparing the dye: The artisans use the age-old recipes passed on by their earlier generations to make natural dyes using vegetables and other natural ingredients. The real trick is to get the perfect shade and texture!
STEP 4 - Block printing: There are two techniques, The Dabu print is a mud resistant technique so it's done by using mud. Whereas in Bagru prints it's done by directly dipping blocks in the colors. One block is used for outlines and another is for the inner part.
STEP 5 - Final wash: The clothes are dried in plain water after the dye dries out. And then when it’s dried off it goes to its final destination where they convert them into gorgeous clothes.
We hope after reading this article you would like to get at least one piece of Bagru print clothing for your wardrobe!