Yellow magic of Parijaat: A natural source of golden yellow dye

Tale of Parijaat 

Do you know parijaat tree belongs to heaven!

It is to be said that it was a heavenly tree and as per the story mentioned in the "Harivansh Puran" Lord Krishn fought with Lord Indra to brought it to the earth from heaven to fulfill wish of her wife Satyabhama. According to Harivansh Puran it is also known as "Kalpvriksh" or a tree which bear wishes. It is normally grown upto 8-10 meters long and found in almost all of India.

Parijaat flower on the tree in home garden

Parijaat flower blossoming on the budding tree

Different Name of Parijaat

Its Sanskrit name is Parijaat and shephalika. In Hindi Harsingar Bengali Shephalika Malyalam Parijatkam Gujarati Jayaparvati Oriya Gangasiuli Kannada Parijatha Tamil Parijata  and in English it is known as Night Flowering Jasmine. 

Its scientific name is Nyctanthesarbor-tristis.

Source of natural herbal dye

Parijaat or Harsingar flowers or Nyctanthes arbor-tristis (Night-flowering Jasmine): Night flowering jasmine produces a very color fast natural dye in golden yellow shade. It gave bright shade on cotton and vibrant golden yellow shade on cotton-silk, silk and modal.

Drying parijaat flower

It is one of the major source of yellow natural/herbal dye used by EcoFab for its Shefalika collection. Fastness of dye is good and good for skin too. It works as a herbal therapy for body and skin. There are many alternative of yellow color available in natural dye but natural cum herbal dye extract from parijaat flowers gives one of the brightest yellow shade. Also aroma of flowers gives heavenly feeling to both dyer and wearer of parijaat flower dyed fabrics. 

Bagh Print Modal Saree dyed with Parijaat

Maheshwari Saree dyed with Parijaat flower

Chanderi Saree dyed with Parijaat flower

Other usage of Parijaat Flower

Apart from use as a source of natural herbal dye parijaat flower and other parts of parijaat tree is used in Ayurveda to treat various health problems and diseases. 

Parijaat is one of the most precious home grown herb used for various purposes. It is anti inflammatory in nature. Whole parts of tree right from its bark, leaves and flowers used as herb to cure different diseases. 

A tea made from the Parijaat tree leaves is a remedy for diseases like normal fever, viral fever, arthritis and cough & cold.

A tea made from tulsi leaves and parijaat flower (either dry or fresh) is very aromatic in taste and a treat for green tea lovers.

For more details or purchase stuff you can visit:

www.facebook.com/ecofabbharat

www.ecofab.in

"Bhatti Pooja" by Hindu Chhippa Community

Tradition of "Furnace Praying"

I was wondering what traditional hand block printing exactly mean!! Did you know that what Indian textile tradition is? "It is a journey from ritual to spiritual." I was stunned to see that still in Tarapur an age old ritual of "Bhatti Pujan" (Furnace worship) followed by "Chippa community" belongs to the lineage of Sant Namdevji Maharaj (Poet & Saint born in 12th century) a tailor, dyer and block printer by profession. Fortunately at the time of such process I was there in Tarapur when it is to be performed. When for the first time I saw that traditional "Hindu Chhippa" community follows certain principles and traditions in hand block printing in connection with ritual to spiritual. When I asked about its relevance, 6th generation master craftsman Banwari Jhariya said: "Our ancestors were not fools they have prepared every rules and processes with certain reason behind it. There is an spiritual reason and matter discipline behind it." This very tradition of "Bhatti Pujan" performed after completion of "पितृ पक्ष" (Half month devoted to ancestors). During these 15 days of PitruPaksh or ShraddhPaksh every year Chhippa Community of Tarapur stopped Bhatti or boiling process of dyeing. After completion of "PitraPaksh" they consult with Panditji (Priest) and during Shubh Muhurat (Auspicious time) restart Bhatti (Furnace) by performing its Puja with Mantra recitation. Sharing a video of Tarapur Printers performing BhattiPuja after completion of PitraPaksh or ShraddhPaksh. Its not just a process but a tradition full of discipline, spirituality and piousness.

Video: Performing Bhatti Pujan

Bagh Print: Magic of River Water

Bagh Print Introduction

Bagh print is one of the famous hand blocks printing craft of India, practiced in tribal village “Bagh” situated at the banks of Baghini River. Minerals found in the Baghini river water gave natural color more vibrancy and increase its fastness. Due to this local specialty Bagh print got geographical indicated brand status in the year 2009. Some 400 years ago few families of "Khatri Community" migrated from Sindh province in today’s Pakistan to Manavar and then Bagh. Another theory says few families of "Khatri" community from "Bherogarh" Village near Ujjain migrated to Manavar and then Bagh in search of new market to continue the tradition of hand block printing. 

National awardee late Ismail Sulemanji Khatri made Bagh print famous by experimenting with urban outfits and variety of designs. Before 1960 hand block printers from Bagh were known as alizarin printers because of use of alizarin in the dyeing process but now it is known as Bagh print to the world. 

Traditionally a combination of buta (flower) and buti (small flower) pattern is used in Bagh prints but today EcoFab introduced other design and patterns in this craft. Bagh print is basically a kind of alizarin & direct hand block printing practiced in various parts of India including Rajasthan and Gujarat. In this craft of hand block printing alizarin is used to fix red and black color printed on cotton or silk using wooden blocks. 

In Bagh print a combination of only two colors red and black is used in printing. First alum (Occurs red in place of alum when dyed with alizarin) to get red and vegetable black is printed. To get the red color from alizarin dye alum is printed as a mordant. Black colour is prepared by keeping corrosion of iron with jaggery solution in a pot for 10-15 days. Now a day readily available “Kashish” made from iron rust is also used to increase the fastness of black color. Few decades back natural alizarin were used extracted from the roots of "Al" tree but today synthetic alizarin replaced the natural one. In Bagh print except use of synthetic alizarin rest of the process still followed by Bagh printers.

Sometimes khakhi color is used in printing by processing black color with harada powder (Myrobalan) and golden yellow by processing with caustic soda but these two colors can’t be over dyed with any other dye. Bagh printing requires 12-15 days to produce a lot of 300 meters fabric.

Bagh Print Designs

"Genda" or Marigold flower design

Traditional "Buta" or flower design

Manjishtha or Madder over-dyed Sarees

Printing Process 

Story Behind Naming Bagh Print

Bagh print is one of the mordant and direct techniques of hand block printing practiced in the Bagh village of Dhar district in Madhya Pradesh. The Bagh printers were previously known as “Alizarin printers” due to use of alizarin for getting red color and to fix the printed black color on the fabric. After Late Martand Singh called alizarin printers of Bagh as “Bagh Printers”, since then Alizarin printers of Bagh known as “Bagh Printers” to the world. 

Other Attractions

Apart from bagh prints you can find other attractions in Bagh are:

1. Maa Bagheshwari Temple

One of the famous Devi (Goddess) temple in the region and a “Siddh Peeth”. Name of the village named after this very age old temple. “Bagheshwari” literally means the Goddess sitting on the tiger.

2.  Bagh Caves (Locally known as Pandav Caves)

You can find beautiful cave paintings inside the caves and also in the museum located outside the caves. 

3. Dinosaurs Fossils

6.5 Crore years old fossils of Dinosaurs found in this village. One of the biggest fossil park in the state is under planning. As per the local source till date more than 6000 fossil in the form of egg found in this area.

For Craft tour or to visit this area you can contact us at

Email: ecofabricindia@gmail.com

Mobile: +91 9993091955

For Bagh Print collection you can check

www.facebook.com/ecofabbharat

www.ecofab.in

Natural Alizarin from Madder Roots

Madder Root Dye in Block Printing

Madder root is one of the rich sources of natural alizarin and purpurin which gives red and yellow color with alkalis and ethanol respectively.  Alizarin red is one of the most valuable natural dyes found in morinda tinctoria (Al Tree) roots but now a day not available easily. Madder roots though contain alizarin red but with the presence of purpurin or some other content it faded away other printed color on the fabric. After doing multiple experiments with madder roots to get natural red color in traditional hand block printing we never got expected result. In traditional hand block printing there are mainly 2 colors red and black is possible. Black is made from fermentation of iron rust & jaggery powder and red is obtained from alizarin (Today synthetic alizarin is used in the process) where alum is printed. Alizarin not only gives red color but also increase the fastness of black color printed on the fabric.

We used madder roots many times to get red where alum is printed in traditional hand block printing process but after multiple attempts we got little red in place of alum was printed but at the same time black color printed on the fabric got fade away in the process.

With conducive research undertaken by EcoFab with the operational help of Tapapur printer brothers’ Shri Pawan Jhariya and Banwari Jhariya  now we are able to extract alizarin red color from the madder roots using combination with different natural dye. Using this combination of 100% natural and herbal dyes now we are not only getting deep red where alum is printed but it also increased the fastness of black color too.

Maheshwari Silk Cotton Saree dyed with Natural Alizarin

 प्राकृतिक अलिज़रिन से रंगी हुई माहेश्वरी सिल्क कॉटन साड़ी

मंजिष्ठ की जड़ का ठप्पा छपाई में प्रयोग 

मंजिष्ठा की जड़ में अलिज़रिन और पर्पुरिन नामक प्राकृतिक तत्व होते हैं जो क्षार और इथेनॉल के साथ क्रमशः लाल और पीला रंग देते हैं| प्राकृतिक रूप से अलिज़रिन का मुख्य स्त्रोत “आल के पेड़” की जड़ हैं किन्तु अब यह पेड़ आसानी से उपलब्ध नहीं होता हैं| मंजिष्ठा की जड़ में अलिज़रिन होता हैं जिससे लाल रंग आता हैं किन्तु पर्पुरिन या किसी अन्य तत्व के कारण कपड़े पर छापे गए अन्य रंग धुंधले हो जाते हैं| पारंपरिक ठप्पा छपाई में मंजिष्ट से लाल रंग पाने के लिए कई बार प्रयत्न किये गए पर कभी भी अपेक्षित परिणाम नहीं मिला| पारंपरिक ठप्पा छपाई में केवल २ रंग लाल और काला ही संभव हैं| लोहे की जंग और गुड़ को सड़ाकर कला रंग प्राप्त किया जाता है और लाल रंग के फिटकरी की छपाई की जाती हैं जिसे अलिज़रिन (आजकल केमिकल अलिज़रिन का उपयोग होता हैं) से रंगने के बाद जहाँ पर फिटकरी की छपाई की गयी थी लाल रंग आ जाता हैं| अलिज़रिन न केवल लाल रंग देता हैं अपितु काले रंग को भी पक्का करता हैं|

कई बार मंजिष्ठा का उपयोग पारंपरिक ठप्पा छपाई में करने पर हमें फिटकरी से छपे गए स्थान पर हल्का लाल रंग मिला और दूसरा दुष्परिणाम यह मिला की छापा गया काला रंग भी बहुत हल्का हो गया|

कड़ी मेहनत के बाद आखिरकार मंजिष्ठा के साथ कुछ और प्राकृतिक रंग के मिश्रण करने से हमें प्राकृतिक रूप से अलिज़रिन लाल रंग की प्राप्ति हो गयी| एकोफेब ने तारापुर के छीपा भाइयो श्री बनवारी झरिया और पवन झरिया के साथ मिलकर यह सफल प्रयोग संपन्न किया| अब हम १००% प्राकृतिक रंग के मिश्रण से प्राकृतिक अलिज़रिन लाल रंग पाने में सफल हो गए हैं जिससे न केवल गहरा लाल रंग प्राप्त हो रहा हैं बल्कि काला रंग भी पक्का हो रहा हैं| 

Puru hand block printing: A tale of Craft Innovation

About

PuruPrint is a result of constant innovation & new product development process initiated by EcoFab with the family of state awardee late Purushottam ji Jhariya. 

Puru print is a new hand block print technique developed by EcoFab & two passionate “Chhippa” brothers Pawan & Banwari Jhariya of Tarapur village in Madhya Pradesh. It is similar to ajrakh technique but different ingredients used. It follows the traditional steps in hand block printing with minor changes in ingredients used in Ajrakh. Puru name is dedicated to the legendary hand block printer Late Shri Purushottamji Jhariya who created a unique technique of Tarapur print a combination of alizarin & dabu printing. For this unique combination of two different techniques he got state award from government. 

Puru also means heaven and it is repeated many times in Rig Veda one of the oldest known written scripture to the mankind.

Generally in Ajrakh printing designs associated with geometrical pattern mainly stars, sun and other geometrical motifs. In Puru print technique motifs are inspired from the nature and includes a range of geometrical, buta-buti & animal motifs in the process which differentiates it from traditional ajrakh developed by hand block printers of Sindh (Now in Pakistan) & Gujarat.

Design

Designs used in Puru hand block printing are inspired from nature and uses a variety of designs like animal, buta (tree) & geometrical patterns.

Process

In Puru print first fabric washed with fresh water and then keeps it in a solution of oil, soda ash & animal extract for 12 hours or overnight. After washing with plain water this process repeated once again. After washing with plain water it get dried in direct sunlight. Now fabric is dyed with myrabalan (Pre-mordant) to get it ready for printing.

First outline is printed using wooden block with a resist paste made of lime and black clay. Second block is used as a filler either alum (to get red) or black (made of jiggery & iron rust) color is printed. With third block it is used to print black color in case alum printed with previous block or vice versa. 

Now with the use of fourth block red & black color covered with resist paste. Now it is dyed in Indigo dye to get indigo blue or dyed with rubharb to get rust yellow or brown background. After washing it kept for drying, then next day it is again dyed with alizarin to get red in place of alum printed on the fabric and to fix black color printed. After drying and washing with normal water fabric or Saree is now ready.

Reinventing Block Printing Dyeing With Morinda Roots

Morinda Roots Dyeing in Block Printing

Really happy to share the successful outcome of 100% natural Morindin extracted from morus indica roots. This was done at production unit of Geeta hand printers Tarapur village of Madhya Pradesh. Alizarin is one of the most precious dye form used by traditional hand block printers in India, but today natural alizarin is replaced by synthetic alternative. In place of natural alizarin we got natural morindin to get pale yellow to brownish yellow color.

Before invention of synthetic alizarin during the year 1869 natural alizarin extracted from the roots of "Al-Tree". Some 50 years ago it was practiced by many hand block printers in India but due to non availability and cumbersome process it was extinct from the market and replaced by low cost synthetic alizarin prepared in the Lab. 

Color of natural alizarin was varied and completely dependent on the age of tree whose roots were used to extract it. It was having a limitation i.e. to get the roots of "Al Tree" before plant crosses the age of 4 years. But here color shade of morus indica roots varies from deep brownish yellow to golden yellow, depending upon the quantity, boiling temperature, time period of boiling and age of the roots. 

Now EcoFab with the help of "Chhippa" brothers Shri Pawan Jhariya & Shri Banwari Jhariya reinvent the age-old technique of hand block print dyeing with newly found roots of species of morinda tree family. Its color shade is a natural beauty and completely different from synthetic alizarin. Constant experimentation and exploring the age-old technique was equally joyful, fun and satisfaction.

Stole dyed with Morus Indica Roots

This success is also important for us because during my visit to as many as traditional hand block printing clusters and interaction with as many as craft patrons was unable to get a clue what it was originally used except the name "Al roots".

Special thanks to Prem Joshi ji for providing us roots, Pankaj bhai & RahimGutti ji for their inputs.

Ecofab is planning to come up with a limited edition of it soon...

#natural #Alizarin #handblockprinting #Tarapur 

Ajrakh Story

Ajrakh Print Story

One of the oldest technique of hand block printing in the World

Ajrakh print is one of the oldest known technique of hand block printing. Its history traces back to 2500 B.C. at the time of Harappa and Mohe Jo Daro. It is to be said that few of the statues found in these places wearing shawl depicting Ajrakh print.

It was mainly practiced in Sindh region of today's Pakistan by "Khatri" community. It spreaded to various parts of Gujarat and Rajasthan due to migration of few families in search of new markets and places to avoid stiff competition.

There are interesting versions of Ajrakh print story told by craftsmen of Gujarat and Rajasthan. The common is that "Ajrakh" is an Arabic word which is used for "Universe" or "Blue" color.

Story told by National Awardee Shri Ranmal Khatriji to us, who migrated from Sindh region of Pakistan at the time of partition to Barmer in Rajasthan. He narrated that 2000 years ago basically four natural colors used in Ajrakh print were red, black, yellow and Indigo. Primarily geometrical designs including Stars and the Sun and domination of indigo blue color (Also a color of sky) in the process looks like universe has created on the fabric and when for the first time Arabic businessmen from Mesopotamia saw this, instantly called "ye to ajrakh hain" (Oh this is Ajrakh) and since then it is known as Ajrakh to the world.

He also added that #Ajrakh printing was also done on the both sides of the fabric in similar manner like "Batik" mainly on "Lungi" for men so that it can be wore by either of the sides. But today it is a very costly affair to print on one side so both side printing is a matter of past.

Another version of the #Ajrakh story told by Dr. Ishmailji Khatri of Ajrakhpur and it is a common to all the Ajrakh lovers.

In discussion with us he told us that it was traded to Arab countries in the past from Sindh region and Ajrakh meaning in Arabic language is "Blue", so it is known as Ajrakh to the world. His another version behind #Ajrakh is "aaj hi rakh" (Keep it today) is also behind the name "Ajrakh" used for this beautiful hand block printing art.

In the past mainly geometrical designs were used by Ajrakh craftsmen but today variety of modern and floral designs introduced in Ajrakh printing.

History of Traditional Borsali Design

Borsali Design

“Borsali” is a very famous design printed by hand block printers of Tarapur among the tribal of Madhya Pradesh & Rajasthan and used for Odhni (Shawl) only. Whenever you visit tribal area of Ratlam & Banswada you will find tribal women wearing a shawl of specific design known as “Borsali”.

“Borsali” is a very popular traditional design printed on the “Odhani” (Shawl) wore by tribal women of Ratlam district in Madhya Pradesh & Banswada district of Rajasthan. Borsali also known as “Bhindi” (Lady Finger) bhat (Design) as told by local veteran craftsman Akram Bhai working under the Master Craftsman Pawan Jhariya in Tarapur. The reason behind calling it “Bhindi” is because this design looks like the same when we cut the lady finger.

Borsali Tree

Pic Source: Google

Still we were clue less about the exact reason behind its name “Borsali” and then we did some more research about the name. We found that “Borsali” is a Gujarati name of a tree of herbal importance. It is known as “Bakula” in Hindi and common name is Bullet tree and Bakul. Interestingly the flower and fruit of Borsali or Bakul tree looks like that Borsali design is inspired from it.

Inside Borsali Fruit

Pic Credit/ Source: Google

Traditional hand block printers were very close to the nature and took inspiration from it whether it is matter of design or color. Today’s generation of traditional hand block printers also strives to keep alive the same tradition with limited scope.

It is still printed by hand block printers of Tarapur for tribal but quality does not matter because of price involved in it and tribal do not have that much paying capacity. Designs are not printed with caution and cotton fabric used is not of very good quality. It is just a matter of keeping the tradition alive and getting work done for minimum wages.

Borsali Odhni

Hand Block Printer Using Borsali Design Block

Hand Block Printing Techniques

Every craft has its own story to tell. In this blog post we are classifying the different traditional hand block printing techniques with focus on mordant based block printing.

One of the most practiced hand block printing technique is mordant based printing which is also known as alizarin printing because of use of alizarin in the process. 

Techniques of hand block printing 

We can classify traditional hand block printing techniques into 3 categories which are:

1. Mordant printing or Syahi Begar printing (Bagh, Bagru, Macchalipattanam, Pedana, Tarapur)

2. Resist printing mainly Dabu (Akola, Bagru, Kaladera, Tarapur, Udaipur)

3. Combination of mordant & Resist Printing (Ajrakh, Balotra, Jahota, Nandana, Pharad, Puru & Taarapur print)

In Rajasthan by combining alizarin and resist printing techniques a new technique was developed mainly in Bagru and Balotara centers. In Bagru it is known as "Jahota" (Mixing of two). Due to regional beauty this technique practiced in Balotara known as Balotara printing.

In Tarapur (Madhya Pradesh) this technique has been developed by Chippa community known as Tarapur print due to its regional specialty and use of design patterns. 


In this blog post we are discussing about mordant printing. Rest of the printing techniques will be discussed in coming blog posts.

Mordant Printing

The widely used mordant hand block printing technique is also known as "Syahi-Begar" or Alizarin printing. Alizarin is a natural chemical which is extracted from the roots of Madder(Rubia cordifolia) & bark of Al root (Morinda tnctoria) used to get natural red color where alum has been printed and to fix the Black (Jaggery powder & iron rust printed on myrobalan dyed fabric) color. Today natural alizarin is replaced by synthetic alizarin.

The process of mordant based block printing is as follow:

Pre-Printing Scouring of Fabric  (Purchase of kora/raw fabric)  Cleaning  (Locally known as “HariTarana” and soak for 24 hours in a solution of castor oil, soda ash and goat dung) Yellow dying/Pre mordanting  (Yellow dyeing with Harda(fruit of myrobalan plant) solution to make fabric off-white. (Prepare fabric for printing locally called “PeelaKarna” or HardaRangai). Printing Process Color/Mordant preparation  (Alum water mix with tamarind seed powder to get red, Iron rust & jaggery fermented solution mix with tamarind seed powder to get black) Printing  (Printing locally called “Chapai” is done with wooden block with mordant)  Drying  (Drying of printed fabric locally called “Sukhai”. It is kept in cool and dry place for 4 to 5 days so that printed color get absorbed by fabric threads) Washing  (To remove the excess color locally called “Khulai”)

Dyeing process

              Dyeing or fixing of colors 

(Dyeing the fabric with synthetic alizarin or madder roots or al roots with woodfordia fructicosa flowers locally known as dhawdi phool. The process of dyeing is locally known as “GhanRangai”)

                Bleaching

(Previously natural bleaching process done near river by keeping fabric on sand under sunlight and sprinkle water on it for a whole day to remove the stains. Now a days ready made bleach powder is used in the process)

Fabric is ready for use/sale

(Source: Based on primary research)

It is also known as mordant printing because of use of mordants such as iron rust and fitkari (Alum) in the process. These 2 mordants mixed with tamarind powder paste before printing. In some places alum is mixed with gum Arabica (Babool gond) solution before printing. Before printing fabric is first dyed with myrobalan solution. Natural pigment known as tannin is present in myrobalan helps to get dark shade of black color after reacting with iron rust and jaggery paste printed on the fabric. 

In Indian traditional hand block printing industry natural Alizarin was extracted from roots of Al tree (Morinda Tinctoria) commonly known as "Al Tree". Alizarin was the first natural pigment which was made synthetically in the lab in the year 1868. In India it got popularized some 50 years ago since then not a single hand block printing cluster using natural Al roots to get the red color. 

Even present generation of hand block printers not only forgot the use of Al roots but also the process. Today al roots is used by tribes of Kotpad village in Koraput district of Orissa to dye the threads before weaving sarees.

Easy to use and cost effectiveness of synthetic alizarin made it popular among the hand block printers community in India so it has replaced the use of Al roots to get red color. 

In this mordant printing now known as syahi begar printing only two colors red and natural black can be printed. 

1. Bagh print (Dhar, Madhyapradesh)

2. Bagru print (Bagru, Rajasthan)

3. Bherogarh print (Ujjain, Madhyapradesh): Now a hub of batik printing.

4. Kukshi (Dhar, Madhyapradesh)  

5. Bela printing (Kutchh, Gujarat)

6. Tarapur (Javad, Madhyapradesh)

7. Sanganer (Sanganer, Rajasthan). Now a hub for pigment printing
8. Machilipattanam (Andhra Pradesh)
9. Pedana (Andhra Pradesh)



In Machilipattanam and Pedana this technique further developed and achieved the acme of traditional mordant based hand block printing. In these techniques now more than 2 colors can be printed by using 4 to 5 blocks. 

In many other places of Rajasthan and Gujarat Alizarin printing is also practiced apart from Dabu and Ajrakh printing.

Printing (ठप्पा छपाई )

Washing (धुलाई)

Myrobalan dyeing (पीला करना)

ठप्पा छपाई के प्रकार 

हस्त छपाई या ठप्पा छपाई के प्राकृतिक रंगों का उपयोग करके कपड़ो पर छपाई करने के मुख्यतः तीन प्रकार हैं:

1. सीधे छपाई (स्याही बेगर प्रिंटिंग)

२. बाधा छपाई (दाबू, अजरख)

३. उपरोक्त दोनों छपाई का संगम

मोरडेंट छपाई और बाधा छपाई की तकनीको को मिलाकर नयी तकनीक कई परंपरागत ठप्पा छपाई केन्द्रों में विकसित हुई| राजस्थान में यह बगरू और बालोतरा में मुख्य रूप से उपयोग की जाती हैं| बगरू में यह तकनीक जहोता (दो का मिश्रण) कहलाती हैं और बालोतरा में यह अपनी स्थानीय सौदर्य के कारण बालोतरा कहलाती हैं| , मध्यप्रदेश के तारापुर, में यह तकनीक छिप्पा समाज द्वारा विकसित की गई जिसे इसके स्थानीय विशेषता के कारण तारापुर प्रिंट के नाम से जाना जाता हैं| 

इस ब्लॉग पोस्ट में हम केवल मोरडेंट या सीधी छपाई की बात करेंगे| बाकी की छपाई तकनीको को हम दुसरे ब्लॉग पोस्ट में लिखेंगे|

सीधी छपाई

सीधे छपाई की सबसे प्रचलित तकनीक को अलिज़रिन प्रिंटिंग के नाम से भी जाना जाता हैं| अलिज़रिन मुख्यतः मंजिष्ठ (रुबिया कोर्दिफोलिया) की जड़ से निकलने वाला लाल रंग का प्राकृतिक केमिकल हैं| भारत में मुख्यतः आल (मोरिंडा टिंकतोरिया ) की जड़ और कुछ कुछ स्थानों पर मंजिष्ठ की जड़ का उपयोग प्राकृतिक अलिज़रिन को प्राप्त करने के लिए किया जाता था| जिसका उपयोग छपाई में उपयुक्त होने वाले दो प्राकृतिक रंगों फिटकरी की छपाई पर लाल और काले (गुड़ और लोहे की जंग एवं हरड) रंग को पक्का करने में महत्वपूर्ण योगदान देता है| 

यह मोरडेंट छपाई भी कहलाती हैं| मोरडेंट यानी की रंगाई करने के पहले किसी दुसरे पदार्थ से आधार तैय्यार करना| इस तरह की छपाई में लोहे की जंग और फिटकरी का प्रयोग किया जाता हैं| इन दोनो मोरडेंट को छपाई से पहले इमली के घोल में मिलाया जाता हैं| कुछ स्थानों पर बबूल के गोंद से बने घोल में मिलकर भी छपाई की जाती हैं| छपाई से पहले कपड़े को हरड

के घोल से रंगाई कर छपाई के लिए तैयार किया जाता हैं| हरड में टेनिन नामक नेचुरल पिगमेंट होता हैं जो लोहे की जंग और गुड से बने घोल की छपाई के समय प्रतिक्रिया करके गहरा काला रंग देता हैं| 

पहली बार १८६८ में अलिज़रिन को कृत्रिम रूप से लैब में तैयार किया गया जिसके बाद से प्राकृतिक अलिज़रिन की मांग में कमी चली आती गयी| भारत में पिछले ५० सालो से कृत्रिम अलिज़रिन का उपयोग ठप्पा छपाई में धड़ल्ले से शुरू हो गया हैं जिसके कारण परंपरागत ब्लाक प्रिंटर्स आल की जड़ से प्राकृतिक अलिज़रिन के उपयोग की विधि भूल गए हैं क्यूंकि उसकी प्रक्रिया न केवल जटिल हैं बल्कि महँगी भी हैं| एकोफेब की टीम ने गहन अध्ययन के बाद पता किया की आल की जड़ का उपयोग आज केवल उड़ीसा के कोटपड़ इलाके के आदिवासी हथकरघा साड़ियो में बनायीं गयी डिजाईन को रंगने में करते हैं|

भारत में आज परंपरागत सीधी ठप्पा छपाई में केवल प्राकृतिक काले रंग का ही उपयोग हो रहा हैं| लाल रंग की डिजाईन को प्राप्त करने के लिए कृत्रिम अलिज़रिन का उपयोग किया जाने लगा हैं|

भारत में छिप्पा या खत्री समाज द्वारा अलिज़रिन प्रिंट तकनीक का उपयोग करने वाले मुख्य स्थान थे और जहाँ आज भी किसी न किसी रूप में यह तकनीक जीवित हैं:

१. बाघ प्रिंट (धार, मध्यप्रदेश)

२. बगरू प्रिंट (बगरू, राजस्थान)

३. भेरोगढ़ (उज्जैन, मध्यप्रदेश) अब यह बटिक प्रिंटिंग के लिए जाना जाता हैं|

४. कुक्षी (धार, मध्यप्रदेश)

५. सांगानेर (सांगानेर, राजस्थान) अब पिगमेंट प्रिंटिंग का गढ़ हैं|

६. बेला प्रिंटिंग (कच्छ, गुजरात)

७. तारापुर (जावद, मध्यप्रदेश)
८. मछलीपत्तनम (आंध्र प्रदेश)
९. पेडाना (आंध्र प्रदेश)

मछलीपत्तनम एवं पेडाना में यह तकनीक और भी अधिक रूप से विकसित होकर अपने चरम पर पहुच गयी हैं जिसमे ४ से ५ ब्लाक का उपयोग करके २ से अधिक रंगों का समायोजन सीधी या मोरडेंट छपाई के द्वारा किया जा सकता हैं|

राजस्थान और गुजरात के कई स्थानों में मुख्यतः दाबू और अजरख के आलावा स्याही बेगर प्रिंटिंग का भी उपयोग किया जाता हैं|