Bagh Print Fabrics
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At iTokri we believe our artisans are our building blocks. They are the ones who put their heart and soul into bringing you the best from the famous crafts of India. To celebrate this special association and learn more about traditional crafts we came up with an interview with one of our talented Bagh block printing artisans from Madhya Pradesh.
Bagh print involves relief block prints made with wooden blocks and natural pigments and dyes are used in this craft. A common textile printing product, bagh prints have motifs that are often geometric, floral designs or paisley, coloured with natural hues of red and black on a white backdrop. The name of the craft originates from the Bagh village, along the banks of the river, Bagh.
Here in this interview, we bring you Mr Umar Faruk Khatri who is well known for his exceptional expertise in Bagh Block printing and has been associated with iTokri for several years. He has received numerous awards and honours both nationally and internationally, including UNESCO's prestigious "Seal of Excellence" award. Let’s see what he has to say about his journey with Bagh Block Printing Craft.
Q1. What is your name and where are you from?
- My name is Umar Faruk Khatri and I belong to Bagh village of Dhar district in Madhya Pradesh, India.
Q2. What kind of handicrafts do you specialise in?
- I specialise in Bagh printing.
Q3. How long have you been practising this craft?
- I have been involved in Bagh printing since childhood. We inherited this art from our forefathers who came to India from the Sindh region and brought this art with them.
Q4. Is your family also involved in the same craft?
- Yes, my whole family is involved in this craft.
Q5. Can you describe the process you go through when creating a piece of your handicraft?
- The process of Bagh craft printing involves a laborious manual process with no use of machines. Each of the Bagh items is completely handmade. The whole process is carried out in three steps:
1.Pre-Printing
The fabric is washed under flowing water for two hours and pounding it on river stones to get rid of any starch in the fabric that can interfere with the dyeing procedure.
The next step is Mengni Karna. This is the process of pressing, rinsing, and drying a fabric three times after it has been soaked in a water solution including rock salt, mengni (goat excrement), and castor oil. The fabric is then pre-dyed with Harara to create an off-white base colour, which also gives the later-applied black and red dyes a richer hue.
2.Printing
Next in the process, the Bagh print is carved using wood relief blocks and natural and vegetable-based dyes. Some of these blocks have been in use for 200-300 years and new ones are made using sheesham and teak wood. However, some printing blocks have been in use for 200 to 300 years.
A wooden container known as a palea is filled with dye and used to apply the right quantity of dye for block printing. The printing block is placed on top of a bamboo mesh which is also known as kartali - covered in wool that is allowed to float in the water body where it eventually, soaks up the dye and transfers the colour.
Depending on the complexity of the design, a skilled artisan can print five yards of fabric by manually applying printing blocks in two to three hours. Following complete printing of the design, the fabric rests for 8 to 14 days to allow the dye to fully permeate the fabric.
3.Post Printing
The cloth is again taken to the river once for washing and hammered against river stones to remove excess colour. After that, the cloth is finished and fastened using the Bhatti technique, which involves boiling the fabric in a a solution of alizarin, water,, and dhavda flowers. As the temperature of the solution is gradually raised, the fabric is continuously moved and rotated using long sticks, assisting in the proper development of the colours. It takes four to six hours to complete the operation. Before the cloth is finished, it undergoes three further washings and bleachings.
It takes a total of 25-30 days to make a piece of cloth ready to sell.
Q6. Where do you get your inspiration from?
- Our designs are highly inspired by the Taj Mahal, Red Fort, caves, monuments, and various forts in India.
Q7. What kind of materials do you prefer to work with?
- We use natural fibres such as linen, silk, Kosa and cotton in Bagh block printing to create Bagh block printed sarees, dupattas, stoles, bed covers and more.
Q8. Do you use traditional techniques or have you developed your own?
- We generally employ traditional techniques that we have inherited from our ancestors. However, we have made a few additions such as using Kaccha Rang in place of Geru Mitti. The kaccha rang is good for the skin and causes no harm. Also, we use traditional as well as modern designs in the block for making suits, sarees, stoles and bedsheets.
Q9. What challenges have you faced in your craft and how have you overcome them?
- From sourcing raw materials, weather conditions, printing, dyeing and drying, and bleaching - every step in this handmade process has challenges. Investing a large amount of money to finally sell the product and patiently waiting for it to get recovered are also major challenges faced in the whole process.
Q10. Which is your favourite piece that you have created and why is it your favourite?
- I got awarded with “Seal Of Excellence” award by UNESCO for my work on the Shibori Indigo Bagh print and it is one of my favourite pieces that I have created so far.
Q11. Are you the only one in your family doing this handicraft? Did any of your forefathers practise any of these crafts?
- My whole family is involved in this handicraft.
Q12. Will you teach your children the same traditional craft?
- I have 3 kids and currently, they are studying. I will always encourage them to learn and grow in this art.
Q13. How do you think this Bagh Print can grow?
- I always try to do something new and unique in this craft. For instance, I made Leheriya by embossing a block print on it, Shibori and Bagh. I love mixing and matching natural colours to create a new one. I have a lot of interest in this craft and hence I keep on trying my hands at various things.
Q14. How do you see the future of traditional handicrafts in India?
- Many people suggest we move to an easy way of printing such as screen printing but I believe doing so might bring an end to the natural Bagh print which was proudly founded by our forefathers. If workers and skilled artisans will keep on becoming less then it will be difficult to carry on this craft.
Q15. What advice would you give to someone who is interested in learning a traditional handicraft?
- If anyone wants to grow in this field I would suggest they learn the intricacies of this printing for at least one year under an expert or experienced professional.
Q16. How has been your association with iTokri?
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I can still recall the days when I was preparing for a big exhibition in March 2020 with a huge inventory lying at my place. And just 4 days before the exhibition, a lockdown happened, I was in deep shock. All my money was stuck, and I was unable to figure out what to do with such a large stock. But as they say, when you want something with all your heart, God lends his helping hand. The same happened to me, Mr. Nitin, Founder, iTokri called me and asked “How much stock do I have at present?” I said “A lot!” After what he said next, I was not able to resist my tears from rolling down and my happiness knew no bounds, he asked me “We want all your stock lying in the godown” To my surprise in just a few days I was able to clear my stock and got payment for all what I have sent to them. From that day onwards our ties are strengthening each and every day.
Before COVID I used to provide iTokri with limited Bagh crafts, but presently, iTokri is my biggest vendor. We have a bond to cherish forever.
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