Indians were among the pioneers in the art of dyeing and printing with fast (natural) colour in the world. Dyeing with indigo was more of a mystery to many foreign travelers to India because they could observe no colour when fabric is dipped in indigo bath - colours develop during exposure in the open air. Hand block printing has been recognized as a craft through generations in different clusters in the country. Each cluster follows its distinctive style & methods, uses locally available natural materials and motifs of some specialty. ‘Bagru’ print is that kind of centuries old traditional art of hand block printing still alive.
In the interior of Rajasthan, at a distance of 30-35 kms from Jaipur, on the Jaipur - Ajmer road there lies a small typical village called ‘Bagru’ having a population2 of around 22,089 with male 52% and female 48%. The village town is not popular for any palace or fort, but for keeping alive the three-centuries-old tradition of printing with the splendid efforts of artisans. It is unique for its indigenous style of printing using natural colours with wooden blocks known as ‘Bagru printing’.