Hand Block Printing of Sanganer

Hand block printing, a craft handed down through generations is in the forefront of the fashion scene today. The ancient craft has seen a major revival over the last two decades and has moved away from its traditional rural centres to the metropolitan cities of Delhi, Mumbai,Chennai and Bangalore. India has been renowned for its printed and dyed cotton cloth since the 12th century and the creative processes flourished as the fabric received royal patronage. Though the earliest records mention the printing centres in the south, the craft seems to have been prevalent all over India. Surat in Gujarat became a prominent centre for trade of painted and printed textiles. The major items produced from this fabric were wall hangings, canopies and floor spreads in rich natural colours. Cotton is also printed in Ahmedabad, Sanganer, Bagru, Farukhabad and Pethapur, the main centres in Rajasthan and Gujarat where hand block printing seems to have continued to flourish.

The National Awards for craftsmen was introduced during the year 1965 and later the same was extended to weavers also. National Award confer to the Craftspersons and weavers in recognition of their outstanding contribution, craftsmanship & development of Craft. There shall be a maximum of 40 National awards and 40 National merit certificates. This recognition will definitely encourage them to continue with the craft in a more enthusiastic and productive manner and will ultimately encourage other to submit their entries for the selection of the National Award.

265 blocks , 56 natural colours , 16 layouts on 7mtrs silk saree

Brij from India has done a gigantic feat meticulously to promote and preserve Hand Block printing by vegetable dyes. He resides right at the focal point of Sanganeri traditional textile printing units cluster. When he was merely in teen’s, his father Shri . Madho .L .Udaiwal and mother who themselves are the masters in the cited field taught him well about this technique of textile...