Block Printing

Bagh ~ PRINTED BY NATURE

From a small town on the banks of the Bagh River in Madhya Pradesh comes one of India's most extraordinary printing traditions ~ a craft that uses only natural dyes, washes its cloth in flowing water, and transforms earth and plant into enduring art.

CRAFT & HERITAGE

Indian artisan hand-carving intricate floral patterns into a wooden block for Daughters of India block-printing textiles, demonstrating traditional block-printing preparation techniques

WHERE CRAFT AND nature ARE ONE

Bagh is a small, unassuming town in the Dhar district of Madhya Pradesh, tucked into the western edge of the Vindhya mountain range. The town sits on the banks of the Bagh River, a tributary of the Narmada, and this geographical fact is not incidental to the craft. The river is integral to Bagh printing ~ its flowing water is used to wash the printed cloth, a process that cannot be replicated with still or piped water.

Indian block carver handcrafting wooden printing blocks for traditional block-printing textile techniques used by Daughters of India

Aerial view of traditional wooden block printing stamps with carved patterns arranged on fabric samples, showcasing the artisan block-printing technique used by Daughters of India

Artisan carefully aligning a carved wooden block onto fabric during traditional hand block printing

What makes Bagh printing truly distinctive among India's block printing traditions is its absolute commitment to natural dyes. While other printing centres have incorporated synthetic or semi-synthetic dyes into their processes, Bagh printing uses only natural dyes ~ alizarin red derived from the roots of the Indian madder plant (Rubia cordifolia), and indigo blue-black from the Indigofera plant. This commitment to natural colour is central to its identity and its recognition by cultural heritage organisations worldwide.

When Bagh printers say their craft is "printed by nature," they are not speaking metaphorically. The natural world is literally a co-creator.

“We do not add colour to the cloth. We invite colour in. The madder root, the indigo leaf, the river water ~ they decide the final shade. We are only the hands that bring them together.”

A Bagh Khatri printer

<15

Families still practising

10-14

Days per cloth

100%

Natural dyes only

THE KHATRI community

The custodians of Bagh printing are the Khatri community, Muslim artisans believed to have migrated to the region from Sindh several centuries ago. At its peak, several dozen Khatri families practised Bagh printing. Today, fewer than fifteen families continue to practise the full traditional process. This precarious state makes Bagh printing not just a craft tradition but an endangered one.

Among these remaining families, the name most commonly associated with the revival is the late Mohammed Yusuf Khatri, awarded the Padma Shri ~ one of India's highest civilian honours ~ for his contribution to the craft. His sons and grandsons continue the work.

Wooden tray filled with natural dye paste in earthy tones, ready for block printing at an Indian textile workshop

Daughters of India artisans hand-inspecting block-printed cotton fabric with traditional white floral patterns in production facility

THE BAGH process ~ NATURE AT EVERY STAGE

The process begins with raw cotton cloth soaked overnight in a solution of castor oil and goat dung ~ a treatment known as saaj that softens the fibres, removes natural oils and sizing, and opens the fibre structure. This treatment is repeated multiple times, with the cloth washed and sun-dried between each soaking. The preparation stage alone can take three to four days.

MORDANTING ~ fixing THE FOUNDATION

Two primary mordants are used: Alum (fitkari) ~ dissolved in water and thickened with tamarind seed paste, areas printed with alum will turn red when dyed with alizarin. Iron (kasim) ~ a solution of rusted iron steeped in jaggery and water for weeks, areas printed with iron will turn black. The same dye bath produces two entirely different colours depending on which mordant was applied ~ a remarkable demonstration of traditional chemistry.

Rich red alizarin-dyed fabric drying after mordant printing, showing the deep crimson tones characteristic of natural madder root dye

Daughters of India artisans inspecting block-printed cotton fabric with rust-orange and white geometric patterns at an Indian textile facility, showcasing ethical handcrafted production

DYEING ~ alizarin AND INDIGO

The cloth is immersed in a dye bath made from alizarin ~ the red pigment from the root of the Indian madder plant. The mordanted areas react to produce deep red on alum, rich black on iron. For blue tones, the cloth undergoes separate indigo dyeing, dipped repeatedly into the vat with each dip and oxidation building depth of blue ~ sometimes a dozen or more times.

RIVER WASHING ~ the final STAGE

Perhaps no stage is more visually striking than the final washing in the Bagh River itself. The cloth is submerged in flowing water and beaten against smooth stones to remove excess dye and fix remaining colours. This is also a deeply communal activity ~ entire families participate, and the sight of brightly coloured cloth billowing in the river current is one of the most iconic images in Indian textile culture.

Indian artisan hand-carving intricate floral patterns into a wooden block for traditional block-printing, showcasing Daughters of India's commitment to authentic textile craftsmanship

THE palette ~ EARTH, ROOT, AND LEAF

The colour palette of Bagh printing is austere and powerful. Working exclusively with natural dyes limits the range but deepens the resonance of each colour:

Artisan mixing natural dye paste colours in small bowls, preparing pigments for traditional hand block printing

Artisan Anushree demonstrates block-printing technique at Daughters of India facility, carefully pressing carved wooden blocks onto white cotton fabric to create intricate patterns

Artisan pressing a carved wooden block firmly onto cotton fabric, transferring an intricate pattern during hand block printing

Alizarin red ~ warm, earthy, ranging from terracotta to deep crimson. This is the signature colour of Bagh, and a well-dyed Bagh red has a luminosity that deepens with age and washing rather than fading.

Iron black ~ rich, warm, never the flat dead black of synthetic dyes but a colour with depth and undertones of brown and purple.

Indigo blue-black ~ deep, saturated, and complex, often appearing as a near-black that reveals its blue only in bright light.

Natural cream ~ the undyed cloth itself, which serves as the "white" of the design. After the saaj treatment and repeated washings, this cream has a warm, soft quality quite different from bleached white.

Block carver chiselling fine detail into a teak printing block, creating the intricate patterns used in traditional Indian block printing

Indian artisan Avneet cuts block-printed cotton fabric with precision scissors in the Daughters of India workshop, showcasing the careful finishing stage of handcrafted textile production

Bharosi Meena, a Daughters of India artisan, inspects hand-block printed fabric in sage green tones during quality control at the production facility, demonstrating traditional Indian block-printing craftsmanship

HOW BAGH differs FROM RAJASTHANI TRADITIONS

Bagh uses exclusively natural dyes ~ alizarin from madder root and indigo from Indigofera. If synthetic dyes are used, it is not considered authentic Bagh printing. Rajasthani traditions (Sanganer, Bagru) have historically used both natural and mineral dyes, and today many also use eco-friendly AZO-free synthetic dyes.

Bagh printing relies on the flowing water of the Bagh River for its final washing process. The specific mineral content and temperature of the river water are considered integral. Rajasthani traditions use well water, tank water, or piped water for washing, and no single water source plays the defining role.

Bagh is geographically isolated in remote western Madhya Pradesh, which has both preserved the tradition's purity and limited its commercial reach. Sanganer and Bagru benefit from proximity to Jaipur, providing steady demand and exposure to international markets.

Bagh has fewer than fifteen practising families, making it critically endangered. Rajasthani traditions involve hundreds of printing families across multiple villages and towns, providing greater resilience and a broader base for knowledge transmission.

Did you know?

Bagh printing received a Geographical Indication (GI) tag in 2009, providing legal protection for its name and origin. The Madhya Pradesh state government has established training centres and marketing support programmes. UNESCO's recognition has raised its global profile. Yet the most effective form of support remains the simplest: buying Bagh-printed cloth. Every purchase from a Bagh printing family is a direct investment in the survival of a tradition that cannot be replicated elsewhere.

MOTIFS AND design

Bagh printing features both geometric and floral motifs, often combined within a single piece. The designs are characterised by boldness, clarity, and a sense of rhythm ~ patterns that read clearly from a distance while revealing finer detail on close inspection.

Common motifs include the leheriya (wave), jaal (net or lattice), phool patti (flower and leaf), and various geometric repeat patterns. Unlike the deeply symbolic patterns of Ajrakh, Bagh motifs are primarily decorative, though they draw on a shared vocabulary of forms that connects them to broader Indian textile traditions.

The blocks used in Bagh printing are carved from Shisham (Indian rosewood), shaped and seasoned by specialist carvers. A printer's collection of blocks represents a significant investment and a repository of design knowledge ~ some blocks in current use are several decades old.

Indian artisan wearing red block-printed dress in textile workshop, Daughters of India handloom production facility

AN endangered CRAFT

The challenges facing Bagh printing are numerous and interconnected. The remoteness of Bagh limits market access. The exclusively natural dye process is slow and expensive. Younger family members face the pull of urban employment. Water is perhaps the most existential threat ~ the Bagh River, once flowing year-round, now runs dry for several months each year due to upstream damming, deforestation, and changing rainfall patterns.

Without the river, the final washing process ~ a defining characteristic of the tradition ~ cannot be performed. The craft endures, quietly, persistently, beautifully ~ waiting for the world to recognise what it has always known: that the most valuable things are those that take the longest to make.

THE future OF BAGH

The story of Bagh printing is, in many ways, the story of handmade craft in the modern world. It is a story of extraordinary beauty produced through extraordinary labour. It is a story of knowledge accumulated over centuries, held in the hands of a diminishing number of practitioners.

What is certain is that Bagh printing cannot be preserved in a vacuum. It requires markets, it requires recognition, and it requires the willingness of consumers to value the slow, the natural, and the handmade over the fast, the synthetic, and the machine-produced. It requires us to understand that when we choose a piece of Bagh cloth, we are choosing to participate in the survival of one of humanity's oldest and most remarkable creative traditions.

The Bagh River still flows, at least for part of the year. The Khatri families still mix their mordants and prepare their blocks. The alizarin still turns red on alum, black on iron, as it has for centuries.

Explore Further

NATURE, DYE and craft

Women artisans printing yellow fabric using carved wooden blocks at a traditional Indian block printing workshop

Natural Dyes of India

The plants, minerals, and traditions behind the colours that define Bagh printing.

Artisan pouring natural indigo dye into a vat, preparing for the traditional dyeing process

Ajrakh ~ Sacred Geometry

Another ancient resist tradition ~ cosmic symbolism and double-sided printing from Gujarat.

Artisans finishing hand-printed garments at a textile workshop, carefully inspecting quality of block-printed fabric

Supporting Artisan Communities

How buying handmade changes lives ~ and why it matters for traditions like Bagh.

Woman artisan carefully pressing a carved wooden block onto peach-toned cotton fabric during hand block printing

Madder & Earth Pigments

The red that gives Bagh its warmth ~ alizarin from the roots of the Indian madder plant.

Explore All Craft Pages

Shipping & Returns

Our slow fashion garments are handcrafted by artisan communities in India, supporting women's empowerment and preserving ancient textile traditions.

We are a small team however we endeavour to process your order within 1-3 business days. You'll receive a tracking number by email once your order ships.

Delivery	Australia	International
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Items must be returned in original condition — unworn, unwashed with tags attached, folded neatly in the Daughters of India tote bag provided.
To arrange your return, contact us at hello@daughtersofindia.net. We recommend using a trackable shipping service.
Refunds are processed within 5–7 business days of receiving the return.
Final sale items are not eligible for returns or store credit.

You can find our full returns policy here.

Shipping & Returns

Our slow fashion garments are handcrafted by artisan communities in India, supporting women's empowerment and preserving ancient textile traditions.

We are a small team however we endeavour to process your order within 1-3 business days. You'll receive a tracking number by email once your order ships.

Delivery	Australia	International
Standard	3–7 days	5–10 days
Express	1–5 days	2–5 days

You can find our full shipping policy here.

Items must be returned in original condition — unworn, unwashed with tags attached, folded neatly in the Daughters of India tote bag provided.
To arrange your return, contact us at hello@daughtersofindia.net. We recommend using a trackable shipping service.
Refunds are processed within 5–7 business days of receiving the return.
Final sale items are not eligible for returns or store credit.

You can find our full returns policy here.

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