Textiles of Madhya Pradesh

The ancient town of Maheshwar, situated on the banks of Narmada is renowned for its centuries-old weaving tradition. Maheshwar was originally the capital of the Malwas during the reign of Maratha Holkar till 1818. It is said that Rani Ahilyabai Holkar (1767-1795) employed a special team of master weavers from Surat and Mandu (Mandavgad) to create a special saree of 9 yards in length. Later, this special saree came to be known as the Maheshwari saree.

The unique feature of this saree is reflected through its small checks and stripes. The designs are generally taken from traditional motifs, such as diya (lamp), rui phool (cotton flower), chameli (jasmine), hansa (swans), etc. as well as the architectural embellishments found in local temples and monuments of Madhya Pradesh. These sarees were initially made of pure silk, but cotton was also introduced with the passage of time. The pallu is one of the most appealing parts of a Maheshwari saree which is done up in bright colours like magenta, pink, green, mauve, violet and maroon. 

The city of Bagh on the banks of the Baghin River is well-known for its exclusive Bagh block printing. Bagh printing is characterised by red and black colour block prints in the form of geometrical and floral compositions which are visually appealing. The process of block printing begins with creating wooden blocks. Rectangular blocks of wood are smoothened from one side, the design is drawn on it using white paint and then it is carved using various tools. There are mainly two types of blocks, rek (used for intricate patterns) and gad (used for printing the outline of the pattern).

After the wooden block is made, the craftsmen prepare the fabric which is mostly cotton. Firstly, the starch is removed from the fabric and this process is called ‘Khara karna’. Then the fabric is bleached in a solution of rock salt and water called 'sanchora paani'. Further, the fabric is soaked in another solution of water and Harara powder (obtained from a type of tree). After these processes, the fabric turns off-white and is then finally dried in the sun. 

Post the treatment of fabric, colors are prepared for printing. The process of printing involves precision as the colors, if not handled carefully, may destroy the entire fabric. Printing of the cloth begins by spreading the fabric over a massive table so that the hand can be moved freely. The process of printing is called ‘chapaayi’ in the local language. The blocks are chosen carefully for each design where gad block is used first to create the outline of the design and then rek block is used to print the intricate designs. After printing is completed, the fabric is left to dry for fifteen to twenty days.

              Finally, the fabric is washed in running water of the Baghin River to get rid of excess color and then it is boiled in a copper vessel where the prints take their actual color. This process is called ‘Bhatti karna’. 
 

The weaving town of Chanderi in the Ashoknagar district is renowned for the production of Chanderi fabric. It is a result of traditional methods of hand-weaving that have been developed over the centuries. It is generally woven using three types of threads- cotton, silk and zari. The weavers make a variety of items out of the Chanderi fabric. These include- safas (turbans), dupattas, lugadas and sarees. Sarees woven out of Chanderi are widely popular for their transparent texture and lightweight. The three most popular fabrics used to weave Chanderi sarees are pure silk, chanderi cotton and silk cotton. 

The process of weaving starts with the designing of the saree and its motifs on graph paper. The threads are subsequently dipped into the solution of colour several times until the desired colour is achieved. After dyeing, the threads are made suitable for the warp and the weft. The motifs on Chanderi fabric are woven on the handloom with the use of different needles. These are mostly inspired by natural elements such as the sky, trees, flowers, swans, peacocks, etc. It also depicts motifs of traditional coins and geometrical figures. 
 

Batik is a traditional craft of wax-resist dyeing and printing, an ancestral work which has been passed on from generations. The village of Bherugarh near the city of Ujjain is renowned for this craft. It is said to have originated over two thousand years ago and reached Madhya Pradesh during the Mughal period. The process of Batik printing involves three basic steps: waxing, dyeing and scraping.

The fabric is first bleached and sun-dried for nearly two hours in order to achieve a completely white shine. In the following step, an outline of the design is traced on the fabric using butter paper. The next process involves dipping the wooden blocks into melted hot wax and impressing their design onto the fabric. The fabric is usually placed on a bed of sand in order to prevent the spreading of wax. After this, the fabric is dipped into a dye solution to achieve the desired color. It is then dried in sunlight and the wax is scraped off the fabric. The waxed portions resist the dye and lead to the creation of a beautiful pattern on the fabric.

Many times, de-waxing is also done by dipping the cloth in a hot water solution until the wax melts off the fabric. The most common patterns used in Batik painting are creepers, flowers, and geometrical figures. 
 

The historic city of Bhopal is popular for the centuries-old Zardozi embroidery. This excellent art is said to have originated in Persia. The term ‘Zardozi’ comes from two Persian words:  Zar meaning gold and Dozi meaning embroidery. In India, it attained popularity under the patronage of the Mughal Emperor Akbar. Zardozi embroidery is done on different fabrics such as silk, velvet, organza, chiffon, etc. 

It involves gold coils and beads that are embroidered onto the fabric using a needle and thread. The fabric which is to be embroidered is first stretched and fixed on a rectangular wooden frame, supported on two tripods called a karchob. At first, the design to be executed on the fabric is drawn on butter paper and then tiny holes are made over the entire outline of the design using thin needles. To trace the design on the fabric, the butter paper is put over it and dabbed with a wet wad cloth, dipped in a kerosene and colour solution. The tiny holes on the butter paper allow the solution to seep through it and impress the design on the fabric. 

Once the design is imprinted on the fabric, the process of embroidery begins using hooks, awl and needles. The fabric is embellished with beads and zari threads (made of gold and silver). The motifs used in this embroidery are mostly floral and geometrical. The different stitches of Zardozi include chain stitch, stem stitch and satin stitch.