Unit 2: Printed and painted textiles
Traditional Indian Textiles and Embroideries notes · PTU syllabus (BSTD 202-20)
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Unit summary
Printed and painted textiles show India's mastery of natural dyes and design. This unit covers Kalamkari, block printing of Gujarat and Rajasthan, Madhubani, Indian miniatures, printed sarees, Warli, Mata-ni-Pachedi, Rogan work, Ajrakh, Bagru and Sanganer prints, North East textiles and Indian carpets.
After this unit you can
- Describe Kalamkari and block printing traditions
- Describe Ajrakh, Bagru and Sanganer prints
- Describe painted traditions — Madhubani, Warli, miniatures, Mata-ni-Pachedi and Rogan
- Describe North East textiles and carpets of India
PTU syllabus topics
- Historical significance
- printing technique
- styles
- colours and dyes and centres of production for Kalamkari
- block printing (Gujarat and Rajasthan)
- Madhubani
- Indian miniatures
- printed sarees
- Worli
- Mata-ni-Pachedi
- Rogan work
- Ajrakh
- Bagru and Sanganer prints
- North East textiles
- carpets of India
Kalamkari
Andhra Pradesh
Pen-painted with natural dyes
Ajrakh
Gujarat (Kutch), Sindh
Resist block printing, indigo and madder
Bagru
Rajasthan
Mud-resist (dabu) block printing
Sanganeri
Rajasthan
Fine floral block prints on white
Mata-ni-Pachedi
Gujarat
Temple cloth of the mother goddess
Topic 1
Kalamkari
Technique
Freehand drawing and painting with a kalam (bamboo pen)
Block printed outlines, then hand-painted
Themes
Hindu epics and temple hangings
Persian floral motifs, tree of life
Dyes
Natural — myrobalan, alum mordant, madder or chay root (red), indigo, iron black
Same natural process
- Process: cloth soaked in myrobalan and buffalo milk, outlines drawn in iron-black, alum mordant for reds, repeated washing in flowing water and bleaching with dung; up to 17 steps.
Topic 2
Block printing of Gujarat and Rajasthan
- Carved teak wood blocks (rekh for outline, gad for filling, datta for background); natural or synthetic dyes; styles — direct, resist (dabu) and discharge.
Sanganer (near Jaipur)
Direct printing on white grounds; fine outlines
Delicate florals, buttis on white
Bagru (Rajasthan)
Dabu (mud resist) and syahi–begar (black and red) prints; natural dyes
Earthy reds, blacks, ochre; bold motifs
Ajrakh (Kutch — Ajrakhpur, Dhamadka; Barmer)
Resist printing on both sides, many stages over weeks
Indigo blue and madder red; geometric star and jaal patterns
Kutch and Deesa
Block prints with resist
Geometric and floral
Topic 3
Madhubani and Warli
Makers
Women of the Mithila region
Warli tribe
Style
Bright colours, double-line borders, no empty space; styles bharni, kachni, tantrik, godna
White rice-paste figures on red-brown ground; circles, triangles, lines
Themes
Gods, nature, weddings (kohbar), fish and peacocks
Daily life, harvest, tarpa dance, nature
- Both now appear on sarees, stoles and home furnishings.
Topic 4
Indian miniatures
- Small, detailed paintings — Mughal, Rajput (Mewar, Kishangarh with Bani Thani), Pahari (Kangra, Basohli) — with fine brushes and mineral colours; their motifs inspire contemporary prints and embroidery.
Topic 5
Mata-ni-Pachedi and Rogan work
- Mata-ni-Pachedi (Gujarat, Vaghri community): "behind the mother goddess" — temple cloth printed and painted with the goddess at the centre surrounded by worshippers and stories; red, black and white natural colours.
- Rogan work (Nirona village, Kutch): thick paste of boiled castor oil and pigments drawn onto cloth with a metal stylus, then folded to mirror the design; tree of life motifs; practised by a few families.
Topic 6
Printed sarees
- Bagru and Sanganer sarees, Bagh prints (Madhya Pradesh — red and black geometric florals with natural dyes), Kalamkari sarees, Ajrakh sarees and modern screen-printed and digitally printed sarees.
Topic 7
North East textiles
- Assam
- Muga and eri silks; mekhela chador; gamosa
- Manipur
- Moirangphee and phanek; Shaphee lanphee shawl
- Nagaland
- Tribal shawls with warp stripes indicating status
- Mizoram
- Puan with geometric patterns
- Arunachal and Tripura
- Loin-loom (backstrap) weaving; risa
- Most use loin looms (backstrap) and natural dyes; motifs carry tribal identity.
Topic 8
Carpets of India
Kashmir carpets
Hand-knotted silk or wool; very high knot density
Persian-style florals, tree of life
Bhadohi and Mirzapur (Uttar Pradesh)
Hand-knotted and tufted wool
India's carpet belt; exports
Jaipur and Agra
Hand-knotted wool
Mughal and contemporary designs
Durries (Panipat, Rajasthan)
Flat-woven cotton
Reversible, geometric
Namdas (Kashmir)
Felted wool with chain-stitch embroidery
Floor coverings
Gabba (Kashmir)
Appliqué on old blankets
Recycled craft
Key terms
- Kalam
- Bamboo pen used in Kalamkari
- Dabu
- Mud-resist printing
- Ajrakh
- Resist-printed textile in indigo and madder
- Rogan
- Castor-oil paste painting craft of Kutch
- Loin loom
- Backstrap loom used in the North East
Quick revision
- Kalamkari: Srikalahasti vs Machilipatnam; natural dye process.
- Block printing; Sanganer, Bagru, Ajrakh, Kutch; Bagh.
- Madhubani, Warli, miniatures; Mata-ni-Pachedi; Rogan.
- North East textiles; carpets — knotted, tufted, durrie, namda, gabba.
Important exam questions
Practice questions written to the PTU exam pattern for this unit's syllabus: short answers (Section A style) and long answers (Sections B and C style).
Short-answer questions
- Q1.Distinguish the two styles of Kalamkari.
- Q2.What is dabu printing?
- Q3.Which colours are typical of Ajrakh?
- Q4.What is Mata-ni-Pachedi?
- Q5.How is Rogan art made?
- Q6.What is a namda?
Long-answer questions
- Q1.Describe Kalamkari and its process.
- Q2.Describe the block printing traditions of Rajasthan and Gujarat.
- Q3.Describe painted textiles — Madhubani, Warli, Mata-ni-Pachedi and Rogan.
- Q4.Describe North East textiles and Indian carpets.
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