Rajasthani prints are known over the world for their richness, variety, and quality. The colors, traditional prints, and distinctive patterns make these fabrics stand out. You can feel the fabric speaking through its Rajasthani prints of nature, architecture, and geometric patterns.
Take a look at the best prints of Rajasthan that pours out the imagination of the talented artisans and narrate the essence of the land of Maharajas.
Bandhani Prints
The story behind:
Bandhani prints are one of the Rajasthani textiles tied and dyed by plucking the cloth into many ties. If focused on the meaning, Bandhani is derived from the Sanskrit word ‘Banda,’ which means ‘to tie.’ It is a belief that wearing a Bandhani saree offers the bride good luck in the future. Giving light to its history, the Bandhani prints in its early mark, found in the Indus Valley Civilization, suggesting that dyeing began around 4000 B.C.
How does it get prepared?
The technique used for creating attractive patterns includes tying tiny knots and dyeing them in various colors. Traditionally in old times, artists used fingernails to perform knots and make bandhani prints on fabrics. However, in some parts of Rajasthan, craftspeople wear a metal ring with a pointed nail to cut the cloth.
The procedure of creating a bandhani textile is not tricky, but time consuming. Bandhani sarees and dupattas are made from loosely woven silk called Georgette or cotton, known as Malmal. The knots are firmly tied, and the remainder of the fabric is colored in phases. As a result, the knots are left undyed, and a lovely flower-like pattern appears as a design all over the material.
Varieties and colors:
Bandhej or Bandhani is available in a range of patterns, colors, and styles. In Bandhej patterns, Lehriya, Mothra, Ekdali are the varieties. The pattern differs as it depends on how the material is tied.
Furthermore, the styles in Bandhej include the following: Ekdali that refers to a single knot, Trikunti which has three knots, Chaubandi which has four knots, and Boond has a bit of dot with a dark center.
Most shopped pieces in this print are sarees, suits, and kameez. Shoppers can buy popular colors: bright yellow, red, green, pink, maroon, etc.
Leheriya Prints
The story behind:
The state’s traditional tie-dye style is known as leheria (or leheriya). It produces a vibrantly colored fabric with distinct patterns. The dyeing technique is frequently used to make complicated wave patterns that receive their name from the Rajasthani word for wave (leher).
How does it get prepared?
Leheriya dyeing is commonly done on thin cotton or silk cloth in lengths suitable for dupattas, turbans, or saris. The fabric is rolled diagonally from one corner to the opposite edge, then tied at the proper intervals and colored.
Before dyeing, fanlike folds produce wave patterns. Natural dyes and several washes are used in traditional leheriya, and indigo or alizarin is used in the final step of preparation.
Varieties and colors:
There are different varieties people can buy in lehariya print like Mothara, Nageena Mothara, Katva Patta Leheriya, Pachrangi Leheriya, and Rajasthani Leheriya. In Rajasthani stores, women can purchase colorful Leheriya dupattas or saris, and the men can flaunt their Rajasthani look by shopping Kurtas, Paghdis, or Safas of lehariya print.
Mustard yellow and Blue are the best colors to try in lehariya.
Bagru Prints
The story behind:
Another traditional print of the state includes Bagru prints, and this printing technique comes from centuries-old classic art and hand block printing. It got started around 450 years ago by the Chippa community, who originated from different cities of Rajasthan and were later settled in Bagru.
How does it get prepared?
Woodblock printing on textiles uses carved wooden blocks to print designs on fabrics, mainly linen, cotton, or silk. It is the oldest and slowest of all textile printing techniques. Indeed, hand block printing is a time-consuming procedure. However, it can produce highly aesthetic effects, which are impossible to achieve by other means. This process starts from Block Carving, in which artisans carve elaborate patterns into wooden blocks using tools such as small hammers, chisels, and drills. Following the carving procedure, a sieve is used to apply dye to the surface of the wooden block.
Then the wooden block is gently pressed onto the palette of dye before being applied against the fabric. At last, before moving towards the printing process, the material is adequately treated to get set for printing.
Varieties and colors:
The colors are many, but primarily, bagru prints are made on a background of off-white, ivory white, or beige. Black, crimson, and maroon are the primary colors used in Bagru printing.
Bagru print styles in men’s & women’s wear are numerous, like kurta pajama, saree, Kurtis, Rajasthani jackets, etc.
Sanganeri Prints
The story behind:
Sanganeri prints are the hero of delicate and refined designs.
The flowers and petals have intricate detailing, generally known as ‘Buttas”, unique to Sanganeri patterns.
The origin of these prints came around during the 16th and 17th centuries and had about 500 years of its existence. At the end of the 18th century, Sanganer was a well-established production firm of block printing textiles.
How does it get prepared?
This simple process starts from washing, marking, printing and ends with dyeing and washing. Also, to get the beautiful Sanganeri print on cloth, artisans primarily use a block with designs engraved on them. These blocks are made of either wood or metal.
Varieties and colors:
Buyers can find Sanganeri printed fabric mainly in yellow and green-blue. Various floral designs, geometrical and other figures are included in its prints. Rajasthani attires, kurtas, salwar suits are found in this type.