Arguably existing since ancient times, it is amazing to see that hand block printed fabric is still alive and well in many printing communities throughout India. One locally known, but best kept secret, is a community located in Bagru, India. Bagru is a town situated 30km away from the pink city of Jaipur. Bagru is well known for its handblock printing using natural dyes & techniques. This technique of hand block printing was started by the God of Chippa community “Sant Siromani Shri Namdevji Maharaj”. The Chippa’s are referred to the caste of the block printers. This tradition of printing is as old as 350 years.

Bagru is a booming town filled with artisans, merchants, professionals, and homemakers, alike. Traditional hand prints include the Dabu resist, farad printing, and the commonly used Bagru print, which is characterized by the use of harda, a mordant, Shahi andbeger, natural paints, boiling to fix the dyes, and of course drying in the sun to insure fixed colors.  

Come visit us!

In addition to making beautiful hand block printed fabric available to you, The Block Print House also offers on site workshops, where you can get a feel for the skill it takes to be a hand block printer. We encourage you to ask for a tour of Bagru so that you can see the entire process from start to finish!