The Art of Block Printing

Ever wondered what makes Rajasthani cloth look so pretty? Let us tell you how, and you won’t regret it.This technique, known as block printing or woodblock printing, is an ancient process that has been practised for over 500 years.

The procedure of block printing includes a plain and pure cotton cloth. The wooden blocks used in this activity have patterns beneath them. A wooden tray with paints and a sieve are also provided. First, the cotton cloth is smoothed out. Then, the wooden block is supposed to be dipped in the desired colour, and an impression has to be made on the cotton cloth. Such activity is to be done slowly but with a lot of pressure. This might sound easy but fetching all the materials involved in the activity was a real struggle. Our tour guide was knowledgeable enough and guided us through the whole process.

The blocks that we used were carved out of seasoned teakwood, carefully carried out by trained craftsmen. Some of the blocks had a wooden handle with a design beneath. The dyes used for handblock printing are extracted from natural resources and minerals. Therefore, these dyes are harmless and are of non polluting nature. Moreover, the water used in dye baths can be recycled and used for irrigation purposes.

From this activity, we learnt that the art of ancient block printing is very difficult to master and requires a lot of patience. We concluded that our ancient crafts involve skills just like any other modern technological job. Hence, we should be grateful and respectful to the craftsmen who have ensured that this tradition lives on and continues.

Writen By Moira & Vanya (Gurukul Global School, Sector 13, Chandigarh).

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