Apparel April 2019 Apparel April 2019 issue | Page 50

FEATURE
Designs on Dabu!
An ancient mud resist hand-block printing technique from the tribal regions of
Rajasthan, Dabu is making a steady comeback into the apparel industry.
Bindu Gopal Rao reports.
Holding a wooden block dripping in mud,
Bhagwati Lal Chippa carefully prints the patterns
on a white piece of cloth. The designs that he
creates are in perfect symmetry and make for
a stunning visual against the backdrop of the
magnificent City Palace in Udaipur. I met Chippa,
an artist from Akola, Chittorgarh in Rajasthan,
during the 4th World Living Heritage Festival. For
someone who learnt the craft when he was just
12-years-old and has continued its practice since
the last 35 years, he is, in a way, one of the few
people who is continuing his craft.
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I APPAREL I
April 2019
THE CRAFT
Dabu, which is derived from the Hindi word
‘Dabana’, meaning ‘to press’, is an ancient mud
resist hand-block printing technique originating
from the tribal regions of Rajasthan. The mud
resist is prepared with clay, calcium hydroxide
(chuna), wheat chaff (beedan), gum (gound) and
lime. Acacia or babul seeds are used to make
the gum which works like a binder. The dug out
mud from the dry pond is soaked in water in a
separate tank overnight. A mixture of beedan and
gound along with mud is used to make a sticky