Bagh Natural Dye Block Print Dhar Madhya Pradesh

Bagh print is the GI-certified natural dye resist block print from Bagh village on the Baghini river in Dhar district of Madhya Pradesh, practiced by the Khatri community of printers led by master printer Mohammed Yusuf Khatri, a National Award recipient, who revived the tradition in the 1970s after near-extinction. The Bagh process uses a three-stage resist-print and mordant system: application of a mud-paste resist background, block printing of geometric and floral motifs using iron-tannin mordant (kasim) in black and red, immersion in natural dye baths including harda (Terminalia chebula), alizarin from madder root, and indigo, followed by washing in the Baghini river water which is believed to contain mineral properties that fix the characteristic Bagh colors of brick-red, indigo, and black on cream. The block vocabulary includes an 8-pointed star (astadal), running floral vine (bel), and large medallion forms on cotton and silk yardage for women garments, bedcovers, and scarves. The Bagh Printers Cooperative organizes approximately 200 artisan families in Bagh and neighboring villages. Bagh print fabrics are sold at national craft emporiums and exported to Europe and Japan as certified natural dye sustainable fashion fabric.