Jaipur is a shoppers’ paradise, and more so for an array of handcrafted products available here. The city has many handcrafting techniques that go back over four centuries. Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II (1688-1743) from Kachwaha dynasty was instrumental in promoting the various arts and crafts and providing livelihood to the artisans. Blue Pottery, Hand block making and printing, and handmade paper making are some crafts Jaipur is known for. Some of these arts and crafts are part of the 36 Karkhanas that have contributed to Jaipur receiving a UNESCO World Heritage Site Tag. Sanganer and Bagru are two towns close to Jaipur, which we visited to watch artisans up close practising these art forms. Read how we went on a handicraft and textile trail in Jaipur.
Blue Pottery Making
I arrive in Sanganer town, which has now become an extension of Jaipur city. We head first to the blue pottery-making workshop. Most of us have admired the vibrant blue pottery of Jaipur adorned with beautiful floral motifs, occasionally birds and animals with a hint of geometrical patterns. This blue pottery is of Central Asian origin and was brought to India by the Mughals in 17th century. In the 19th century Sawai Ram Sigh II sent local artisans to Delhi to be trained in blue pottery making and soon became an art form in Jaipur.
Blue Pottery
But how exactly is blue pottery made?
Blue pottery making is a time-consuming and laborious multi-step process. I enter the workshop where artisans are at work in silence. Each one is doing the task assigned to them. You will be surprised that clay is not used to make blue pottery. One of the artisans at the workshop shows me a wooden tray with samples of raw materials- quartz stone powder, powdered glass, borax, gum, and Multani mitti (Fuller’s Earth). He explains the process of making blue pottery. The raw materials are kneaded with water to make a dough. The dough is then flattened and placed in moulds made of POP. After unmoulding, the product is left to dry for 1 or 2 days.
Raw Materials and Making of Dough for Blue Pottery
The pottery is then cleaned and polished with sandpaper. The pottery is now smooth enough for painting. Intricate patterns are then hand-painted by master craftsmen. A final coat of glaze is applied, and the fully dried product is put in a furnace and fired at precise temperatures to prevent cracks. The furnace is not opened immediately. Once the temperature comes down naturally, a process that may take 2-3 days, the furnace is opened. The finished pottery is removed, checked and then packed.
Painting of Blue Pottery and Furnace for Firing Blue Pottery
If you think blue pottery is expensive and haggle with artisans to reduce the price, I suggest you visit one of these workshops. The sweat, time and effort that go into making each of these pieces will make you convinced that these artisans deserve more.
Handmade Paper Making
The handmade paper-making industry in Sanganer is more than 500 years old and can be traced to the time of Maharaja Sawai Jaisingh II. Leftover pieces of cloth (not wood) are processed into handmade paper which is used to make cards, diaries, wrapping paper, lamps, bags, hamper baskets and lots more. I head to the office of Mr Sharif Kagzi, the owner of Kagzi Industries, a leader in handmade paper making. His family has been making handmade paper for the past 100 years, and their products are exported around the globe. He asks one of his staff to take me around the workshop to see the process.
The process
Our first stop is where the women are checking the cloth pieces. The checked cloth pieces are then sent to the shredder, which shreds the cloth to small size pieces. The shredded pieces are soaked in water/liquid in a pulp beater machine. The shredded cloth is now soft like a pulp. On wooden frames, muslin cloth is placed, and the suspension pulp is spread. Sheets of pulp are placed one on top of the other and compressed in a machine to drain the water. The papers are then separated either manually or by machines.
Shredding of Cloth Pieces and Pulp Beater Machine
Paper pulp and Spreading Paper on Muslin Cloth
Paper is compressed. Separation of muslin cloth and paper manually or by machine
The papers are then airdried on strings. (Just like we dry our clothes on strings at home) The papers are then sent to the calendaring machine, where they are placed between two tin sheets and passed through rollers that flatten them. The flattened paper is then sent to the cutting machine, where it is cut into different sizes and shapes. Next, depending on the products to be made, they are sent to the die-cutting machine. Finally, the varied products are made with cut paper sheets.
Drying of Handmade Paper
Calendaring and Die Cutting of Paper
Handmade Paper Shop
We visit the shop where they sell the handmade products and I am amazed at the variety of products on display. The products and designs we admire on Pinterest and Instagram are on display here. The foreigners outsource all these from Sanganer handmade workshops and then sell them at inflated prices on Etsy and other e-market platforms! Photography is prohibited here, or you would have seen pictures of these exquisite handmade paper products.
Hand Block Printing
My next stop is to see the process of handblock printing. I reach Sakshi International’s hand block printing factory. I meet the owner Pushpendra Doraya, who has graciously agreed to my visit at short notice. He asks one of his artisans to show me the block printing process since he is busy with international buyers.
The process
The first step is the colour mixing process, where primary colours are mixed to obtain myriad shades and hues. The colour is poured into wooden trays. The trays are kept on trolleys with wheels to facilitate movement. The room has long tables on which the fabric to be printed is placed. The artisans dip the intricately carved wooden blocks into the colour trays and then stamp the block onto the fabric. The block is pressed, and the design gets transferred to the fabric. One wrong move and the design can smudge or be too faint. It’s an exercise in patience and precision, which requires utmost concentration. The fabric is then washed and sundried.
The blocks and actual block printing
Hand block print shop
I visit their small store where both fabric by yardage and ready products are on sale. Shirts, dresses, bedsheets, cushion covers and numerous other items are on display. I pick some exquisite hand block printed outfits, thank everyone and leave. It is only after sending a thank you message to Doraya do I come to know that the blue pottery unit I had visited earlier also belongs to Sakshi International.
Bagru Printing
On our way from Jaipur to Pushkar, we stop en route to Bagru, a small town 30 km from Jaipur. This town has its own style of printing. We head to Mahesh Dosaya’s workshop, where he asks his daughter Simran to take us around. The Chippa community has been doing Bagru printing for centuries. Bagru prints are usually made on off-white or beige backgrounds, with prints in red, black, and maroon, but other colours are also used. Natural dyes are made out of harda, pomegranate and indigo.
The process
The first step is preparing the raw fabric for printing. A mixture of soda ash, sesame oil and cow dung is prepared, and the cloth is washed with it. Next, the cloth is prepared for ‘Harda treatment.’ Harda is a fruit that contains tannic acid, which gives a yellow colour to the fabric. The tannic acid also reacts with the iron in dyes to give a black colour. The fabric is soaked in harad water, squeezed and dried. It is only after so much hard work that the fabric is now ready for actual block printing or chapai. There are two types of dyeing techniques: direct and dabbu.
We are informed that since it is raining, we won’t be able to see the complete process. But we can observe the direct style of printing or chapai. On long tables, the fabric has been laid out. On shelves are scores of cardboard boxes in which the blocks are stored. The designs of each block are stamped on the cardboard boxes for easy access. We watch as artisans dip the blocks in wooden trays containing dyes and then stamp the fabrics. The precision and the force with which each block is thumped are critical.
Blocks in Cardboard Boxes and Actual Block Printing @Rafiq Somani
Artisans Doing Block Printing @Rafiq Somani
Another chapai/printing technique is Dabbu or resist dyeing technique. Here, a mud paste of clay, gum and lime is applied to the fabric, and then printing is done. The paste prevents the dye from penetrating the fabric. When the fabric is washed, intricate designs become visible.
Different Types of Dyes
Different dyes give different colours. The use of indigo gives blue shades, begad dye made from alum geru and cluster beans (yes, the vegetable) gum gives a red colour. Seyahi dye, made from iron, fermented molasses, gum, and starch from tamarind flowers, gives it a black colour.
We head to the shop, where Simran shows us scores of fabrics and products made using Bagru, Dabbu and Indigo prints. I pick a dabbu print stole, thank everyone and leave.
Bagru Print Shop @Rafiq Somani
Wooden Block Making
Since hand-block printed fabrics are made extensively in and around Jaipur, it is no surprise that even the carved wooden block making is an art form. These wooden blocks are now used for making temporary tattoos and mehendi/henna motifs, not just for fabric printing. The forefathers of some of the artisans engaged in block making were from Persia and had settled in and around Jaipur under the patronage of Sawai Jai Singh II. Many Persian designs like paisleys, Mughal buttas and others found their way into block printmaking.
I had heard there are workshops at Radha Ballabh Marg in Sanganer where wooden block-making is done. However, I couldn’t explore the wooden block-making due to lack of time (we had set the afternoon to explore Amer Fort). But as Paulo Coelho said, “When you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it”. While exploring Bagru printmaking at a workshop, Simran, the owner’s daughter, tells us there is a wooden block-making workshop just outside. Our joy knows no bounds.
The process
We rush to the wooden block-making workshop, where artisans carve intricate patterns on wooden blocks. Sagwan or teak wood is used for making wooden blocks. Intricate designs are traced on the blocks. These designs and patterns are painstakingly chiselled on the wooden blocks. One wrong blow and the design block can be rendered unfit for printing. The right tools, precise blow by the hammer, loads of patience, and mindfulness are all essential ingredients for making wooden blocks.
Wooden Hand block Making @Rafiq Somani
Be Vocal for Local
Our handicraft textile trail of Jaipur, Sanganer and Bagru has ended. Art is a meditative experience where one only focuses on the task at hand. It helps one forget all one’s worries. Art is now viewed even as a form of therapy. There are several workshops where you can try your hand at these. One wonders if these art forms will survive the test of time considering they are laborious and time consuming. Add to that machine made items are available at cheaper prices. It becomes imperative that we support these local art forms. Do purchase the local handicrafts as it will help the local artisans and keep these local artforms alive for future generations.
GETTING THERE
Nearest Airport: Jaipur has an airport with connectivity to major cities in India.
Where to stay: We stayed at ITC Rajputana in Jaipur. You can do a net search for hotels depending on budget and comfort.
Contact Details:
Blue Pottery Making: Sakshi International – Pushpendra Doraya-9829116698
Block Printing: Sakshi International – Pushpendra Doraya-9829116698
Handmade Paper Making: Kagzi Industries– Mr Sharif Kagzi- 9928424518
Bagru Printing: Paramparik Craft-Mahesh Dosaya- 9829069072
Wooden Block Making: Rajendra Singh- 8952871474
Travel Help: Rajasthan Routes and Trails helped us plan this trip to Jaipur.
Other Jaipur Blogs on ‘So Many Travel Tales’
Things to Shop in Jaipur
Exploring Amer Fort Jaipur
Exploring Jantar Mantar Jaipur
Jaipur- A UNESCO World Heritage Site
Hawa Mahal, Jaipur
Exploring Jaipur City Palace