Technical name of this Tarapur hand block print is “Syahi Begar Print”. “Syahi” means dense black and begar means red or maroon.

Two mordant (Colour binder) are used to get the red and black color in the hand block printing process. To get the black color jiggery powder and iron rust solution mixed with tamarind seed powder printed on harad (myrabalan) dyed base, and to get red color a paste known as “Begar” prepared by mixing alum with tamarind seed powder or gum Arabica and printed as mordant and then dyed with manjishtha roots or aal roots as a natural dye source or alizarin as synthetic source of red color. In last 60 years traditional craftsman adopted the synthetic source of red color known “Alizarin”. In past to get natural red color roots of Aal (Morinda tinctoria) tree or manjishtha (Rubia cordifolia) plant were used.

At EcoFab we have revived the use of manjishtha or Indian madder as a source of natural red color in the traditional hand block printing process.

This saree is completely dyed with natural and herbal dyes.

About EcoFab

EcoFab is a first generation enterprise born out of a thesis based on the marketing on rural hand block print fabrics in the year 2016. Since inception it started promoting the fine handcrafted textile by adopting “know your product” and “know your source” policy to aware customer what they are buying and from whom they are buying.

The major focus of EcoFab is to revive the ancient natural cum herbal dyes and innovate the new ecofriendly techniques in the Indian handcrafted textile.

Technical name of this Tarapur hand block print is “Syahi Begar Print”. “Syahi” means dense black and begar means red or maroon.

Two mordant (Colour binder) are used to get the red and black color in the hand block printing process. To get the black color jiggery powder and iron rust solution mixed with tamarind seed powder printed on harad (myrabalan) dyed base, and to get red color a paste known as “Begar” prepared by mixing alum with tamarind seed powder or gum Arabica and printed as mordant and then dyed with manjishtha roots or aal roots as a natural dye source or alizarin as synthetic source of red color. In last 60 years traditional craftsman adopted the synthetic source of red color known “Alizarin”. In past to get natural red color roots of Aal (Morinda tinctoria) tree or manjishtha (Rubia cordifolia) plant were used.

At EcoFab we have revived the use of manjishtha or Indian madder as a source of natural red color in the traditional hand block printing process.

This saree is completely dyed with natural and herbal dyes.

About EcoFab

EcoFab is a first generation enterprise born out of a thesis based on the marketing on rural hand block print fabrics in the year 2016. Since inception it started promoting the fine handcrafted textile by adopting “know your product” and “know your source” policy to aware customer what they are buying and from whom they are buying.

The major focus of EcoFab is to revive the ancient natural cum herbal dyes and innovate the new ecofriendly techniques in the Indian handcrafted textile.

In this technique fabric is washed with solution of castor oil and washing soda, works as a natural soap. After washing is done to extract impurities from it is then dyed with myrabalan (Harad fruit) dye. After dyeing it is dried under sun then fabric is ready for printing. Now fabrics first printed with syahi begar (alum to get red and iron rust to get black color). After printing with two mordant fabric is put in a cool and dry place for 3-4 days so that it is well absorbed by the fabric. Now fabric is washed in a flowing or running water to wash extra mordant. After washing it is gone through “Bhatti” (dyeing) process, in which printed fabric is dyed with dhawda flower and alizarin. In place of alum print red color occurs and iron rust printed black color becomes fixed. Few decades ago roots of al tree (morinda tinctoria) or madder roots were used to get red color. Today it is replaced with synthetic alizarin. In this collection we have revived the use of natural dyes using manjishtha roots (Indian madder) for red/maroon colour. Myrobalan and iron rust creates natural balck colour.

“Chippa” community is practicing the craft of hand block printing in Tarapur since 400 years, who claims to belong to the lineage of Sant Namdev, a famous saint of “Bhakti Tradition” in India. 10-15 years back some 100 families of “Chippa community” were involved in this craft restricted to the 3-4 families today. It’s all due to tough competition from the chemical screen printing and imitating of designs by digital printers selling it at cheaper prices than hand block printing. But they are still following the traditional methods in preparing the fabrics using semi-natural and natural dyes.