CRAFTS OF INDIA / DABU PRINTING / CHHIPPA COMMUNITY

CRAFTS OF INDIA / DABU PRINTING / CHHIPPA COMMUNITY

There are some skilled traditional printers of this region who use the mud resist printing technique with vegetable dyes to create densely patterned and richly coloured textiles that cater to the functional and sartorial requirements of the various local communities. Although all the motifs are derived from vegetable and floral forms, each bears a unique association with a specific community, thus serving as a means of identifying the wearer.

Some communities had migrated from Jaipur and settled in the Bagru area near the Sanjaria River because it provided the necessary water for printing and chhikni mitti, an important ingredient in Dabu mud. Even though the river dried up 20 years ago, many printing families still reside in the area. There are two main types of hand block printing in Bagru - Bagru printing and Dabu.