Local tribals in Barwani, Madhya Pradesh are being trained in the Bagh, Maheshwari and Chanderi textile crafts by TRIFED to ensure continuous livelihoods.

=> Barwani in Madhya Pradesh is an aspirational district due its poor socio-economic development conditions.

=> There are no traditional crafts in Barwani, however, in the surrounding districts of Khargone and Dhar, tribal artisans are engaged in Bagh printing and traditional weaving of textiles in the Maheshwari style.

About Bagh Print

• It is a traditional hand block print with natural colours, practised in Dhar district in Madhya Pradesh.

• Its name is derived from the village Bagh on the banks of the Bagh River.

• In this printing technique the cotton and silk cloth are subject to treatment of a blend of corroded iron fillings, alum and Alizarin (organic red dye).

• On completion of the printing process, the printed fabric is subject to repeated washing in the flowing waters of the river and then dried in the sun for a specific period to obtain the fine lustre.

• Usually geometric and floral compositions with vegetable colours of red and black over a white background are found in this style.

• Bagh printing received the Geographical Indication (GI) tag in 2008.

About Maheshwari fabrics

• Maheshwari fabrics are cotton and silk fabric woven with zari or brocade in varied designs primarily used to make sarees.

• The Maheshwari saree, comes from Maheshwar (located on banks of Narmada) in Khargone district of Madhya Pradesh.

• The grandeur of the forts in Madhya Pradesh and their designs played an important role in inspiring the technique, weaves and motifs on the Maheshwari fabrics.

• Some of these popular designs include the Mat pattern (chattai), Jasmine pattern (Chameli), Brick pattern (Eent) and Diamond pattern (Heera).

• There are 5 major categories of sarees woven out of Maheshwari fabric which are namely - Chandrakala, Baingani Chandrakala, Chandratara, Beli and Parbi. These sarees are glossy and light weight.

• Maheshwari sarees were patronized by royal family of Holkars and are said to be created by Rani Ahilya Bai Holkar herself.

About Chanderi fabrics

• It is a traditional ethnic fabric characterized by its lightweight, sheer texture and fine luxurious feel.

• It is produced by weaving in silk and golden Zari in the traditional cotton yarn that results in the creation of the shimmering texture.

• The fabric borrowed its name from the small town Chanderi in Madhya Pradesh and can be classified into 3 types – Chanderi silk cotton, pure silk and Chanderi cotton.

• Chanderi sarees were patronized by the royal family of Scindias.