Sanganeri Block Printing

Sanganer, the house of Sanganeri Block Printing can be a town/ Tehsil (an administrative division) located in Jaipur district, Rajasthan, sixteen km south of the capital Jaipur. Bagru is a palace in Rajasthan well-known for Bagru Printing. Both locations are well-known for fabric printing, the homemade paper industry, and Jain temples. Sanganer prints are one of their very own kind, for the purpose that styles in vivid shades are constantly revealed on white backgrounds.

History of Sanganer Block Printing

The history of the Sanganeri prints is around 500 years old. The foundation of these prints got here at some stage in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. The consistent wars between the Mughals and Marathas brought numerous craftsmen to emigrate from Gujarat to Rajasthan. This craft in the long run observed its haven in Sanganer, where it is been thriving ever since. And through the pinnacle of the 18th century, Sanganer turned into a well-set up manufacturing residence of these block printed textiles.

The Sanganer Block Printing is well known for its excellent designs. Originally, Sanganeri prints were created on white and off-white fabric. However, nowadays, different fabrics are also being used as bases. The Sanganer Block Printing accommodates elegant floral styles. These flower motifs are normally recognized as ‘Buttas’. The complicated detailing of the flora and consequently the petals is extraordinarily distinctive to the Sanganer Block Printing. Today, the fabric marketplace of Sanganer is famous all over India and consequently the sector for its precise mixture of conventional and conventional varieties of printing.

Sanganer Wooden Printing Block

Faces behind the Block Print

The dyers in the beginning got here from Punjab and Sindh and belonged to a network stated as the ‘chippa‘ network. Mostly Muslims and their entire family, including their children are involved in printing. Today, almost 3000 human beings are hired in printing. According to the 2008 census, 152 block carving units exist in Sanganer. A block maker or a woodworker is known as “Bhatt-Ghar“- in Rajasthan. Here Bhatt means to block and the Ghar means the carver.

Motifs of Sanganer Block Printing

Finesse in flora-petal designs, curves, and delicacy are the top specialties of Sanganer prints. Different kinds of floral styles are displayed inside the type of a ‘bel’ (a border), at some stage in a stylized manner. Some of the flora applied within side the prints are roses, rosettes, lotuses, lotus buds, sunflowers, lilies, ‘Champa’ ‘canna’ ‘nergis’, marigold, etc. Various different flower creations are also observed in antique Sanganer Block Printing. Other flora used are domestically recognized as ‘sosan’, ‘gainda’, ‘gulmehendi’, ‘javakusum’, ‘guldaudi’, ‘kachnar’, ‘jatadari lily’, ‘kaner’, ‘kanna’, ‘gullalla’, ‘Sosan’ and ‘gullala’ prints are likely very appropriate to Sanganer Block Printing fashion, consequently they’re utilized in diverse forms.

Sanganeri Block printing

Wooden Printing Blocks

In ‘booties’, generally, one type of floral petal and bud creations is observed; for example: ‘Badaam, (almond)’, ‘Paan’ (beetle leaf), ‘mukut of ‘kalanga’. While printing a sari, if the ‘booti’ is of ‘sosan’ flower then the ‘bel’ additionally will be of ‘sosan’ flower and an enormous ’boota’ of an equivalent flower is typically performed at the ‘Pallav’ (the decorative fringe of the sari, that is displayed through the ladies and goes over the shoulders ). Hence, for printing one sari, a huge range of blocks want to be made.

By printing distinct booties together, the Saanganeri ‘Cheepas’ have portrayed brilliant know-how. Sometimes greater than 3 flora is geared up superbly in a single ‘booti’ e.g. in ‘Latkan booti’ banana tree, sosan tree, and saro tree series is assembled superbly in a single pattern. The designs are named in line with the flora or plant pattern, from which the designs have been in the beginning inspired.

Many flora applied in Sanganer Block Printing doesn’t originate from Rajasthan. In spite of these circumstances, however, there appears each purpose to trust that the craft has been surpassed down for loads of years and has ended up applied in all of the purity of unique inspiration. Nature, feeling, and shadation reciprocity, as additionally the method in printing are all best whilst the absence of device regularity offers an attraction that locations those items above and past whatever as but completed in Europe.”

Apart from flora; bananas, dates, grapes pomegranates, etc. have additionally been recreated in a totally appealing manner. In a few antique prints, figures of parrots and fish also are visible. For approximately fifty years peacock, camel, horse, elephant, and human figures are also used. These are usually visible on table covers, bedsheets, curtains, clothes, etc.

What is Bagru block printing?

Bagru printing is one of the everyday strategies of printing with herbal shadeation accompanied through the chippas of an area of Rajasthan. The manner begins off-evolved from getting ready the cloth to completed revealed fabric thru their indigenous methods.

‘Bagru’ print is that type of centuries-antique conventional artwork of hand block printing nevertheless alive. In the indoors of the wasteland nation of Rajasthan, at a distance of 30–35 km from Jaipur, on Jaipur — Ajmer highway there lies a small ordinary village called ‘Bagru’ having a populace of round 22,089 with male 52% and woman 48%. The village town isn’t famous for any palace or fort besides for retaining alive the 3-centuries-antique subculture of printing with the luxurious efforts of artisans.

Bagru Block Printing

History of Bagru Block Printing.

Bagru Block Printing

However, it is predicted that this kind turned into delivered 450 years lower back whilst a network of Chhipas (actually meaning human beings that stamp or print) got here to Bagru from Sawai Madhopur (Alwar) and settled in Bagru. The Chippas network settled alongside the riverside, like several different nomadic settlements. The financial institution of the river furnished them with clay that is an crucial factor in getting the bottom shadeation of the famed ‘Bagru’ prints. Bagru is that the area of the Raiger and Chhipa network.
It is precise for its indigenous type of printing the use of herbal shades with wood blocks stated as ‘Bagru printing’.

Motifs of Bagru Block Printing

The ancient development of the motifs of Bagru is tough to know. These are in the main derived from the plants and fauna and are herbal in foundation. A Comparative have a look at of the evolution and format of motifs simply well-known shows a alternate from antique subculture and fashion. Initially, the prints have been often floral and vegetative. After the Persian impact they have become greater geometrical, for instance, one regularly unearths a vital round, then motifs are located round it.


Bagru Print Motifs e1653876527155

The motifs of Bagru can also be categorised into 5 types:

  1. Motifs of flora and birds: These are regularly observed with in side the stem or with in side the vital reasons which facilitates to stability the floral arrangement.
  2. Motifs of inter-twisted tendrils: These are motifs of flora comprising of spiraled or inter-twisted stems, with flora, leaves, or birds gift at the same. These are used as ‘bels’.
  3. Motifs of trellis designs: These are especially the ‘Jaal’ tricky grid (connecting designs), which have been formulated below the Persian impact.
  4. Motifs of figurative designs: These are bird, animal and human motifs, e.g., mayur’ (peacock), ‘sua’ (parrot), ‘hiran’ (deer).
  5. Motifs of geometrical designs: These are geometrical in shapes, e.g. ‘‘chaupad’ (check), ‘kanguras’ (triangular), Leheriya’ (wave), ‘chatais’ (woven) pattern, etc.

Difference between Bagru & Sanganeri Block printing

  • The main difference between Bagru and Sanganer printing is that Sanganer print is normally performed on white ground. Whereas Bagru prints are revealed on an Indigo or a dyed background.
  • Local water additionally has its effects. In the water of Sanganer, the outcomes of block printing are very wealthy darkish reminder shadeation. Bagru on the other hand unearths a reddish tinge within side the block of revealed textiles. Colour combos and motifs assist differentiate one block-printing fashion from another.
  • Traditionally, motifs revealed at Bagru are huge with ambitious lines, in comparison to Sanganer, in which somber shades and excellent lines, tricky detailing are practiced. Saanganeri motifs are supported nature, whilst the motifs of Bagru are greater regularly geometric.


If you adore the process of block printing and searching to buy wood printing blocks, you may purchase a Wooden Printing Block layout and print your very own cloth and paper.
We layout, make, and promote our very own wood printing blocks, for block printing onto cloth, papers, clay, and blended media artwork products. Block Printing is an historical Indian printing method.
Our wood printing blocks are all hand-carved withinside the conventional Indian method, in India.

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