Batik print - 2000 years of great art and still counting!

Just a few kilometres from the majestic Ujjain, lies this small village of Bherugarh, on the banks of mighty Shipra River. Renowned for the splendid temple of Kaal Bhairav, the settlement is also the focal point of Batik printing. It's an age-old craft of wax-resist dyeing and printing which is believed to have been practised in the countries like Egypt, Japan and India for over 2000 years. Batik, the art of antiquity, knocked on the doors of handloom and craft industry in Madhya Pradesh during the Mughal times. Today, the village of Bherugarh consists of about 800 men and women involved in printing.

How is Batik printing done?

The process of batik printing is tough yet fascinating. For printing, the selected area of the fabric is covered with hot wax and the cloth is then dyed. The portions covered with wax resist the dye and stay in the actual colour. After the tedious process of waxing and dyeing, the wax is removed and then the fabric used for styling.

Another vivid technique of Batik printing!

There is not just one way of printing the fabric, it implies more such batik techniques, one being the crushed effect. For this, hot wax is applied on the large areas of the textile. After drying, the wax is crushed and dyed using beautiful colours which gives the cloth a delicate cracked effect.

The influx of new prints, clothes and machines couldn't weaken this strong art. Indeed, it is still going strong like never before!

You can order from:  Mr. Pushyamitra ( Phn.no -9993091955)