Dabu and Indigo Block Printing of Bundi Region

Bundi district participates in the Hadoti region's textile printing tradition, particularly the dabu (mud-resist) printing technique practiced by Chhipa artisan families. Dabu printing involves applying a thick paste of clay, lime, and acacia gum over wooden block-printed areas before dyeing, creating white patterns on a coloured ground when the paste resists the dye. The indigo blue typical of Hadoti dabu is achieved through repeated dipping in natural indigo vat (requiring fermentation of Indigofera tinctoria leaves with lime and jaggery). Each colour requires a separate dye bath; complex three-colour designs may take a week to complete. Indigo-resist printed cotton fabrics were traded across India before chemical dyes arrived, and are now experiencing a revival through natural dye movements. Women's craft cooperatives in Bundi are reviving dabu printing for organic lifestyle markets.