The heart of India Madhya Pradesh is a very diverse state known for it’s rich wildlife and heritage. It’s indigenous tribes and various printing techniques offer an array of premium textiles. The use of natural color also makes it more rustic and give it more of a traditional Indian feel. We will look into the long kept secrets of MP’s textile industry. The world of Madhya Pradesh textiles.

Madhya Pradesh is known for various printing techniques namely hand-block printing using mainly natural colors, batik printing and techniques of tying and dyeing known as Bandhini. Weaving specialties of Madhya Pradesh are Chanderi and Maheshwari silk and cotton clothes. Let’s check these amazing work of art in details below.

• Handblock printing:

If you are talking about quintessential Madhya Pradesh textiles then hand-block printing the first thing that comes to mind. There are various sub groups or specialities of this type of printing. The main feature of it is that it uses all natural colors extracted from vegetables, roots of plants called ‘Aal’, and indigo.The famous ‘bagh print‘ native to Bagh in Dhar district uses colors extracted from ‘Aal’ plant root. The shades of red and black are predominant in this printing, it also provides a 3D effect because of the intricately curved motifs which are used here in Bagh.

There are many other styles of hand-block printing which are mostly in circulation within the local area.  Other places like Umedhpur, Tarapur are special for traditional prints using indigo. The products made using this printing techniques include saris, dress materials, bed sheets, curtains, table clothes and pillow covers. Nowadays even shirts are being embellish with indigo block prints to give it a new ethic look and the style is quickly catching up with the youngsters.

• Bandhani- art of tying and dyeing:

A centuries old Indian techniques of tying and dyeing a cloth fabric. Bandhani comes from the Sanskrit word banda which means “to tie”. A very delicate and painstaking job. The main colours used in Bandhani are yellow, red, green and black. The technique involves making small beads all over the cloth by tieing threads which is done mainly by women, then the cloth is dipped in a light colour. The entire cloth gets dyed only except the tied part which retain the ground colour. This process is repeated if a darker shade of colour is needed. What is essential in bandhani is the intricate and skillful manipulation of the fingers for tying, extensive knowledge of colour schemes and skill in dyeing materials. It takes several years for a craftsman to perfect his skill. In madhya pradesh bandhani work is mostly done in the western part. Places like Mandsaur and Indore are known for their bandhani works.

• Batik:

Batik is a resist process for making designs. A ancient art said to have developed in Egypt now most popular in Java, Indonesia and other parts of South Asia. Bhairavgarh on the banks of river kshipra is the hub for batik printing in Madhya Pradesh. Bhairavgarh which is also known for Kaal Bhairav and tales of king Vikramaditya and the vampire ghost Betal. Originally it was used by the locals tribes to decorate their garments.  The artist uses wax to prevent dye from penetrating the cloth, leaving “blank” areas in the dyed fabric. The process can be repeated over and over to create complex multicolored designs. First the cloth is dyed with base color, then the wax designs are made, then it is dyed again to give contrast colors to the designs. In Madhya Pradesh textiles industry map batik finds its place in Bherongarh and Indore. There are many varieties of batik print done all over the world.

• Chanderi:

Chanderi is said to have originated in the vedic period, founded by Lord Krishna’s cousin, Shishupal. The specialty of chanderi is finely woven fabric with zari work on it. Two types of fabrics are used in chanderi, cotton and silk. The fabric is woven with very fine hand spun yarn which makes it delicate and light weight at the same time. Motifs used in chanderi work depict nature mostly with leaves,flowers, trees, earth, sky, and gold coins(ashrafi). They are very appropriate as summer wear for their light weight ,sober color and glossy transparency.

Chanderi can be called the jewel in Madhya Pradesh textiles industry’s crown undoubtedly. Chanderi is a place in northern MP in Ashok Nagar district. Chanderi sarees are the other name of sophistication and the schindia dynasty made it more popular in the 19th century. Now chanderi sarees and other dress materials have great demand all over the world. Though the most sought after variety is the chanderi silk.

• Maheswari:

The origin of Maheswari handloom fabrics can be traced back to 5th century in the erstwhile capital of malwa region, Maheshwar. The holkar dynasty used to rule from maheshwar before shifting to Indore. In 18th century Ahilya Bai Holkar made maheswari sarees famous by buying a lot of them with motifs and borders of maheshwar fort and gifting them to her guests.  Maheshwari fabric is among the finest handloom fabrics in India. It is also done on two varieties of clothes like chanderi work- one is cotton and the other is silk. Zari(golden thread) is used extensively in maheswari work, they are mainly used to make motifs and borders of sarees. Specially motifs like Guldasta, Aambuta, Ghunggroo, Chatai kinar, Bel phool, Jai phool, Hansa, Mayur, Baila Ankhi, Ambi Buti and Chandtara looks lovely. The sarees are overall simple in design with checks, stripes and small round designs all over the body of the saree if not plain.

Various hues and colors are available in maheswari work like green,magenta, sea green, golden, peacock blue, grape green, brown, black etc. Cotton maheswari sarees are a perfect summer wear because of their simple design, light weight and fine fabric.

Let us know about your preferred style from Madhya Pradesh textiles and don’t forget to send us your feedback regarding our blog.

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