Archaeological records maintain that the fabric remains, recovered from the Roman trading town of Palmyra in Syria which goes back to the 3rd century, also included scraps of signature Jaipur prints.

The historic city of Jaipur has long served as an invaluable repository of Rajasthan's fantastic textile heritage. Its artisanal riches are well documented in the amazing showcase of the state’s varied textile traditions. One of the best things Maharaja Swai Jai Singh II did, when he was building his new capital, Jaipur, was to ensure that there was a dedicated place in its master plan to attract craftsmen from Rajasthan and beyond.

Starting from the shops in the Walled City to trendy boutiques and glittering fashion catwalks, Jaipur has been pivotal for the extensive global exposure of the myriad textiles produced across the state. Significant to their freshness and relevance— from deep antiquity to contemporary times— has been the use of motifs, patterns, designs, and traditional techniques of weaving, dyeing, printing, embroideries et al. Though the state’s block printing methods may align in many ways they can be distinguished based on their colour schemes and design styles, as we see from the iconic twin textile hubs of Sanganer and Bagru.

Bandhej

Ancient Maru-Gurjar handcrafted traditions have favoured us with the beautiful bandhani/bandhej or tie-and-dye textile, available in various styles including ekdali, mothda, shikari and lehariya. The best bandhej work is found in Jaipur, Jodhpur, Udaipur, Nathdwara and Sikar. The complexities of the multiple processes its making undergoes add a special lilt to the poetic outcome of the end product which has pleased buyers from all over the world.

Traditionally, bandhej work has been done by Muslim Khatris who migrated from the neighbouring region of Sindh (Pakistan) to Rajasthan and Gujarat's Kutch area. Handwoven cotton or silk on which the design is to be dyed gets an outline or imprint (rekhi) with fugitive (impermanent) pigments with either wooden or iron blocks. The little dots which represent the design on the fabric are then tied with dye-resistant thread. To get rid of the impermanent design imprint the fabric is washed thoroughly before being dipped in the dye, rinsed, dried — and again dipped in the dye. The predominant colours are yellow, red, green and black. Look for fabric which features the original method of organic mineral dyes. All kinds of chemical-dyed fabrics are sadly replacing the original methods. Over-printing in gold, known as khan work, is also a popular trend in bandhej cloth.

Lehariya

Its breezy, gently undulating wave-like patterns created by multiple mud-resistant and dyeing processes has been showcased on everything from fine cotton fabric to wispy chiffons and georgettes. The iconic pattern matches the spring in the air on Holi where you’ll see many Rajasthani women adorning the lovely phaganya odhni. In the monsoons, go for the samudra leharin (the colours of the sea waves) or the indradhanush (the seven colours of the rainbow). You can pick up sarees and dupattas, turbans and kurtis in the many bold or pastel hues of leheriya. Jaipur and Jodhpur are renowned for their leheriya work.

Sanganeri Hand Block Prints

Dating back to over 500 years the iconic Sanganeri hand block print, beloved for its organic processes, almost went into decline with the advent of the machine- made mania in the 50s and 60s. Pulled back from the brink in the 60s Sanganer’s hand blocked tradition is enjoying a wonderful revival as sustainable lifestyle choices in fashion and everyday clothing are now trending strongly all over the globe. From cotton to silk to soft muslin, Sanganer’s iconic delicate floral trellis-like patterns printed on a white base should definitely find a place in your wardrobe. The traditional calico prints (dual colour prints done repeatedly in diagonal rows) and the doo rookhi prints (set on both sides of the fabric), are now represented in more contemporary ways.

The dyers and printers who settled in Sanganer town (17km away from Jaipur) hail from the traditional chhipa community originally from the Punjab and the Sindh regions. They used a unique technique known as 'calico printing' which entailed, first the printing of the outline, which would be filled in, and then repeated in diagonal sections. The mineral content in the waters of Sanjaria River was what gave a special radiance to the natural dyes in the printing process of the fabric. With designs powered by organic mineral dyes and hand blocked prints, the fabric found much favour, as the popular chintz, across the European market in the 16th-17th centuries, via the East India Company.

No longer consigned to fabric by- the-meter Sanganer hand block prints have transformed kurtis and skirts, home furnishings and linens and quilts to a highly aesthetic level. Sanganeri block prints are done on a white or off-white base. Floral motifs such as roses, lotuses, sunflowers, lilies, marigolds, rosettes and lotus buds dominate Sanganeri block print work.

Bagru Hand Block Artisanship

Another iconic textile hub in Rajasthan, Bagru, 30km away from Jaipur, has long been associated with organic textile printing for over four and a half centuries now. What differentiates Bagru hand block prints from those of Sanganer is that they are done against an indigo blue, red and black background. The motifs are also bolder, bigger and less detailed than those found in Sanganer work.

Its printers hail from the chhipas community from Sawai Madhopur, Alwar, Jhunjhunu and Sikar districts

Bagru follows two forms of block printing traditions—direct dye (typically indigo) printing and mud-resist dye printing. These are represented in the Seyahi-Bagru and Dabu prints respectively. In direct printing, the fabric is first bleached, then dyed following which the printing is done by the chippa with the hand block. Geometric and floral designs are popular in Bagru prints. Predominant colours in the patterns are indigo blue, alizarin and vibrant yellow.

Ajrakh

A sustainable and ethical fashion choice, Ajrakh sarees are beloved amongst eco-sensitive buyers for their vibrant colours, intricate patterns, and natural dyes.

Bold geometric patterns known as ‘Ajrakh’ have been the mainstay of the desert town of Barmer’s textile traditions. Ajrakh is distinctive for its crimson red and indigo blue symmetrical patterns block printed on cotton fabric. The tradition, involving 14-16 stages of printing and dyeing techniques, is followed by the Muslim Khatris.

Resist printing with hand-carved wooden blocks forms the core of the technique, with the prints appearing on both sides in natural red and black, with the white cloth resisted on a dark indigo-blue background. The motifs are largely inspired by nature in the form of flowers, leaves, animals, birds, the stars etc. The trefoil motif features three joint sun discs representing the harmonious unity of the sun, water, and the earth. The prints are best showcased in soft furnishings such as bedspreads, bed linen and curtains. Another variant of Ajrakh is the Nandna print, distinctive for its largely bold geometric patterns and vibrant colours.

Kota Doria

Rajasthan’s gossamer light Kota doria sarees are the perfect foil for its hot summers. Thes iconic tiny square checks (khat) pattern is traditionally carried out by women folk in the villages of Kaithoon, Siswali and Mangrol, near Kota, in their homes on a throw shuttle pit loom. It involves putting the combination of cotton and silk yarns in various densities both in the warp and weft directions to create that lightweight mesh-like weave. To strengthen the fabric, going by generational traditions the fabric is smeared with an indigenous solution of onion juice and rice paste. A popular story behind its original name Kota Masuriya, for this open weave handloom tradition, is that it reached Rajasthan from Mysore in the south around the 17th century. Local lore has it that weavers from Mysore were settled in Kota by Rao Kishore Singh, who served as a general in the Mughal army. Today, the delicate craft is kept alive by the Ansari community of the Hadoti region under which the historic towns of Kota and Bundi fall. Kota Doria has been translated into stunning options in sarees, dupattas and suits. Available in both cotton and silk fabric it also features accents of light Zari work for formal occasions.

Trawling the bustling lanes of the bazaars in the Walled City you won’t be able to resist the charm of this rich seam of artisanal splendour and —maybe, even a particular Jaipuri textile tradition which becomes a lifetime favourite for you!