Anokhi Museum of Hand Printing, Jaipur :

The Anokhi Museum in Jaipur has the distinct privilege of being the only Indian museum that is solely dedicated to showcasing the hand block printing works of India’s renowned artisans. The museum is located inside the Royal Palace (or Haveli) near the popular Amber fort in the pink city of Jaipur, and is spread over 3 floors.

Background :

The one-of-its-kind museum is an endeavour to preserve the community of artisans of 500-year-old block printing in Rajasthan. It was started by Anokhi, a clothing line selling block-printed garments in stores across in India. The company was the brainchild of a British woman who married an Indian and moved to Jaipur in 1970.

Faith Singh worked with local craftsmen to create contemporary prints on textiles that have become so popular in India and abroad.

It was Ms. Singh’s daughter-in- law Rachel Bracken-Singh who restored the dilapidated 17th- century mansion—which once belonged to the palanquin bearers of the royals—and turned it into a museum. This preservation project earned a UNESCO award for ‘Cultural Heritage Conservation’ in 2000.

The old but well-maintained building is a cool relief from the desert heat. Large boards in the open courtyard explain the lengthy process of hand block printing. It all begins with the design to be printed on the textile. Once finalised—often floral, paisley, or geometric—they are carved by hand onto wooden blocks which have been soaked in oil overnight and cleaned.

The museum was restored in the 16th century, and was opened to tourists in 2005. It was founded as a centre for tourists and locals to learn about the historical significance and heritage of traditional craftsmanship, rather than just displaying the collection of the works of the Indian block printers. The fabrics created using the Anokhi craft are not just popular in India but are also extremely famous in countries like Japan, Singapore, Britain, Spain and Mauritius.

Until this museum was opened to the public, there was actually no platform for people to observe and understand the craftsmanship of Indian carvers. Surprisingly, there is hardly any literature available to access the information related to Anokhi

Block Print :

The museum displays the work of several popular block printing communities in India, especially the North Indian styles. The block printing technique is common across India but is most common in Rajasthan, due to its rich culture of hand textile printers. This was hampered by machine printing, which made this art form redundant and stole the livelihood of many of the locals who took to block printing when the weather was not conducive for agriculture.

More than 100 garments and blocks are on permanent display inside alcoves and galleries across two floors. There are ethnic designs and patterns, and also Western clothes in traditional prints, like knee-length dresses in shades of red and russet. On the roof-top terrace, a few craftsmen sit with their tools, ready to demonstrate their work to interested visitors. The museum also offers a 2-day course in block-printing and wood-carving to enthusiasts. The museum shop carries a selection of hand-crafted merchandise, which includes limited edition textiles, clothing, furnishings, jewellery, books, and cards.

While Rajasthan’s summers are infamous for their searing heat, the museum itself is cool. The process of hand block printing entails carving designs (floral, paisley or geometric) onto wooden blocks , which are then applied to print this pattern onto cloth. The dyes used are 100% natural, and include like indigo, pomegranate rind and turmeric.

The museum displays the clothes of the ancient Indian Royal Kings, which were the finest works of Indian designers. Apart from the fabrics, you can also find a wide range of tools used by the artisans including chisels, rasps, saws and hammers to create a beautiful piece of cloth.

The museum deserves credit for preserving the craft even today. It took about 2 years to complete the construction of the museum. The current look of the museum owes its design to the French architect Stephane Paumier who was hired to restore the ruins of the building and design the interiors as well as the display cases. This beautiful building won the UNESCO building preservation award in the year 2000.

Anokhi Museum houses the world's best block painting garments and is a cultural endeavor of Anokhi clothing brand. This museum exhibits the oldest art form of Rajasthani art at its very best. Detailed explanation about every cloth is mentioned along with the quality of fabric and various other details.

Like crafts worldwide, the block printing industry faces serious challenges trying to keep pace with modern manufacturing. The Anokhi Museum of Hand Printing addresses this fragile situation primarily through education. Dedicated to the art of block printing, AMHP strives to inform both textile specialists and general public alike; but more importantly, the artisans themselves are encouraged to visit and view their craft in a unique and inspirational way. Hopefully visitors from India and abroad will leave the museum a little wiser, and also more sensitive to the need of protecting this enduring heritage craft for future generations.