Textile

Block Printed textiles

- Rajasthan is an important producer of textiles in India. Especially the printed and tie-and-dye varieties. Textile printing is practiced in many areas of the State, with each having its special color scheme,design,and technique. The most important centers are Sanganari, Bagru, Jodhpur, Akola(in Chittorgarh district) Nagaur, Jaisalmer and Barmer.

In the last century, many printers of the Chippa community,the traditional dyers and printers of the chippa community, the traditional dyers and printers,came from Alwar, Sikar, Jhunjhunu and other places to work in these cities. Handblock printing is perhaps the most popular kind of textile decoration as it allows the printer to produce a wide range of fabrics in bright colors and attractive designs to be made into saris, odhnis, bedcovers and tablecloths. Ajrakh Prints
Ajrakh prints are based on a special design in dark shades of blue and red geometrical patterns. These prints are used mostly for making turbans, coverlets and odhnis, besides various other useful items. The design of Jaisailmer and Barmer are similar to those seen in the ajrakh textiles of Sind in Pakistan.

Printing Blocks

- The printing blocks used by the Chhipas are procured from the khatis (carpenters) of Jaipur or brought from Delhi, Mathura, farrukabad and Pethapur, where traditional woodcarvers create intricate traditional designs from blocks of gurjans or teak wood as they have done for many generations.

Block Printing

- The process of printing is undertaken by the printer in his small workshop sitting before a low, wooden table.

Dyeing

- Reams of dyed cloth are hung on racks to dry. Black dyes are prepared by fermenting iron oxide with molasses and gum; red by extracting alizarin from madder roots and mixing with the locally available dhawai flower in lukewarm water in a large copper pot; blue from indigo extracted from the leaves of the neel plant (indigofera tinctoria); yellow from pomegranate rind and raw turmeric. The millmade bleached cloth is prepared for handblock printing by washing and desizing for many hour.

Sanganer

- With the foundation of Jaipur, the handblock printing industry in Sanganer flourished, enjoying phenomenal growth as a commercial center. Its origin as a textile producing center, however, remains shrouded in mystery. In the last few decades, the handblock printers who had been working in sanganer for centuries received a renewed impetus. Now, sadly enough, most of the printers have resorted to screen painting instead of the time consuming and costly block printing.

Drying Block Printed Textiles

- The printed pieces of cloth are dried in the sun and after the dyes are fixed, the cloth is given one or more washes and finally sized and dried before it is ready for the market.