Through looms and hand-carved blocks, Madhya Pradesh’s craft stories unfold in textiles shaped by generations of skill and the rhythms of local life
Madhya Pradesh is known for its historic monuments, forest areas, temples and historical cities. However, another face of Madhya Pradesh appears in looms, wooden printing blocks, and painted surfaces that many generations of artists still use to express themselves with colour, thread, and patterns.
The traditions of hand-block printing of Bagh and Chanderi’s weaving in Madhya Pradesh have been created by people who live in specific locations or belong to specific ethnic groups. Some of these traditions were established through the support of royalty; others were developed from indigenous traditions and everyday practices of the local community. Both types of tradition show us that craft in Madhya Pradesh continues to be an expression of the history and lifestyle changes that occur within a region, community, and way of life.
Chanderi: A Town Woven into Fabric
Chanderi, in Ashoknagar district, is a historically significant town where weaving is now deeply intertwined with its identity. Chanderi textiles have gained recognition for their lightweight, sheer fabric with a subtle shine; traditionally, these qualities were achieved using fine cotton, silk, and zari.
The fabric has a distinct texture and the motifs that are woven into the fabric. Some of the most common designs that are used in Chanderi fabrics include coins, flowers, lotus flowers, and peacocks. The addition of zari creates a second dimension to the fabric without diminishing the quality of the fabric, which is known for its lightweight.
Today, Chanderi produces many types of fabrics, such as pure silk, pure cotton, and silk/cotton mixtures. Today, Chanderi remains most famous for producing sarees; however, it also produces other items like dupattas, scarves, suits, and modern-day clothing.
Chanderi offers visitors an opportunity to learn about the process used to create textiles; however, it is much more than just a shopping destination. There are thousands of weavers and looms within the town of Chanderi. Additionally, the nearby town of Pranpur has become a craft and handloom tourism village. Visitors to this village will have a greater chance to experience the weaving culture of the area.
At this point, it is challenging to distinguish the relationship between the craft and the place. A loom does more than just produce a fabric with the Chanderi name; it helps maintain the identity of the town that provided the fabric with its name.
Maheshwari: A Weave with a Royal Legacy
Maheshwar is a city located to the south of Mandu, along the banks of the Narmada River; it also boasts a unique style of weaving.
The Maheshwari textile became famous during the late 1700s because of Queen Ahilyabai Holkar, who supported the craft. The Queen had a strong connection to the craft, and this relationship is still part of the history of the town. This area continues to have some of the most important handloom centers in Madhya Pradesh.
There are some key elements which define a traditional Maheshwari Saree:
- The striped or checked pattern can be found throughout the entire body.
- In addition to being used as a border, Zari can also be found in other areas of the garment.
- Traditionally, the pallu has many stripes.
- Motifs such as leheriya, inspired by waves, chatai or mat patterns, and floral forms appear in the designs.
- Present day Maheshwari textiles use both cotton and silk.
The architectural style of Maheshwar as well as the surrounding landscape has helped define the visual language of the area. There are local histories that relate many of the different types of motifs to the Narmada River, the Fort, the Temples and the Vegetation that surrounds the town.
The tradition has continued to evolve. Weavers today create a variety of items such as sarees, stoles, dupattas and clothing fabrics for a larger customer base. The Rehwa Society was formed in 1979; this group has helped support local weavers and maintain the handloom industry.
Walking through Maheshwar therefore provides two experiences that are related, the historic city of Ahilyabai Holkar and the active loom operation where another part of her heritage continues.
Bagh: Patterns Made One Block at a Time
In Bagh village, Dhar district, the way textile is produced has changed. Rather than being created on a loom with patterns that emerge as the weaving process progresses, designs are applied to fabric by printing with hand-carved wooden blocks.
Bagh print is synonymous with the Khatri community. This print method uses red and black on a lighter background. There are multiple steps in the print process, preparation, wash, print, dye, dry, etc.
The core of the process is using hand-carved wood blocks. The designs on these blocks can be anything from geometric and floral designs to those based upon animal life, plants and architecture. Each design used in a block has its own name, such as genda for marigold, keri for mango, leheriya for waves and mitthu boota for a parrot-inspired motif.
It is surprising how much complexity there is to this process:
- Prior to being printed on, the fabric has to be prepared.
- Wooden blocks are used to apply the intended patterns by hand.
- Different ingredients and mordants help produce the characteristic red and black colours.
- The cloth passes through repeated stages of washing and drying.
- The colours are finally developed and fixed before the textile is ready.
Bagh printing has always been done primarily on cotton; today, artists also work on silk, cotton-silk blends, Chanderi, Maheshwari, and other fabrics.
The result is a tradition that can change its surface without losing its technique. A centuries-old hand-printing method can now appear on sarees, scarves, home furnishings, and contemporary clothing.
Gond Art: When Nature Becomes a Visual Language
The beginning of the craft tradition of Madhya Pradesh doesn’t always start with cloth.
Gond painting is yet another way to tell a story; it is based on the traditional culture of the Gond people. The natural environment plays a major role in how the paintings look. Animals, birds, trees, and other natural elements are shown alongside the people’s mythology, beliefs, and scenes from daily life.
The most distinctive element of present day Gond art, which has become synonymous with this style of painting, is that it utilizes a combination of fine lines, dots, dashes and repeating patterns as a way to “fill” larger areas within the piece. For example, a bird, tree or animal might initially appear in outline form; however, once the internal elements have been applied using repetitive marking and colour, the subject transforms into something completely different.
The development of contemporary Gond painting has a close relationship with the town of Patangarh in the Dindori District. Artists from the region have helped take the tradition from local walls and cultural spaces to paper, canvas, museums and exhibitions.
This change is significant as Gond artists do not merely replicate their existing work on different surfaces; they continue to refine their own unique styles and create new content while maintaining the connection to their past artistic traditions.
The significance of nature is still very strong. The tree, bird and animal on a canvas is not just an embellishment to a picture, but rather the story, belief system or relationship with the rest of the world that is being portrayed.
Nandana: A Lesser-Known Printing Tradition
Nandana is yet another block print tradition that is practiced in Madhya Pradesh. This is in addition to the more widely recognized Bagh textiles.
The Nandana print technique is associated with the Bhil people of India and has been practised by Chhipa artisans for generations. These printed materials have served as both a practical aspect of daily living, and as an important element of formal celebrations within the Bhil community, especially for the women.
Like Bagh, Nandana uses hand block printing; however, Nandana also features its own distinct patterns and associations within the culture. The Nandana fabric includes floral and symbolic patterns that have each design associated with aspects of community life, fertility, and well-being.
The value of the tradition lies primarily in demonstrating how printed cloth is capable of serving as something other than just clothing. In addition to being able to convey a social message, the use and arrangement of motifs within a textile can also express a social meaning.
However, today, Nandana is facing many problems because of the fast-paced modern methods of producing textiles and because some artisans are moving on to other professions.
The fact that this craft exists in Madhya Pradesh’s craft landscape tells us something else: preserving a craft isn’t just about preserving a traditional method; it’s also about giving the next generation reasons to keep doing it.
Following a Craft Trail Through Madhya Pradesh
For travellers, these traditions can offer a different route through the state.
Chanderi allows visitors to combine its forts, stepwells and historic architecture with its weaving neighbourhoods and nearby Pranpur.
Maheshwar brings the handloom tradition into the landscape of the Narmada, Ahilya Fort and the old town. Local weaving centres provide opportunities to observe how Maheshwari textiles are produced.
Bagh offers a closer look at hand-block printing and the lengthy process behind its characteristic patterns and colours.
Patangarh provides a connection with the artists and visual traditions associated with contemporary Gond painting.
Madhya Pradesh Tourism has created a “Craft Trail” of various locations in MP, such as Indore, Maheshwar, Mandu and Bagh. This demonstrates that crafts are an integral part of the travel experience and not just a souvenir to buy at the end.
For tourists, the experience of going to these types of locations will help them see the contrast between a machine produced replica and a hand crafted item that has been prepared, woven, printed or painted over several days.
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