Sanganeri Chintz (Chheent) and Resist Printing: Mein, Med-Paste and Old Colours
By Hitesh Sharma, Founder, Shree Srishti Textile, Sanganer, Jaipur · Fourth-generation hand block printer · Updated 22 October 2026
What makes a Sanganeri chheent
- White ground (safed zameen): whitened by water and sun, not bleach.
- Fine butis: small flowers printed at even, close intervals, usually leaning left.
- Colour sense: red and black, with deep and light shades of yellow, blue and green. The book says old chheents had more colour variety than today's, but Sanganer's printers kept their inherited sense (vanshanugat soojh-boojh) of matching colour to ground.
- Natural finishing: natural materials, not artificial chemicals, were used during and after printing.
How resist printing worked in Sanganer
After the outline (rekh) and fill (datai) were printed, the printed parts were covered with a resist paste using blocks. Then the ground colour (jaali) was applied – the resist stopped it from reaching the motifs.
| Resist type | Made from | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Basic resist / med-paste | Lime (choona), clay, gum, wheat dhoon | Thick paste printed with blocks |
| Sanganer resist | Plus pine resin (cheed), beeswax, desi ghee | Left a faint, pleasant fragrance in the finished cloth |
| Cheed for datai | Pine resin with sesame oil and wax | Used in tod-datai and pol-jadai bhaants |
| Dabu | Black clay, lime, wheat bran, gum | Mud resist for indigo; later centred in Bagru |
Colours of old Sanganeri chintz
- Red: begar (alum, gum, red ochre) made fast with aal (alizarin)
- Black: syahi from iron horseshoes and jaggery
- Blue: indigo (neel)
- Yellow: nashpal (pomegranate rind), harda, safflower
- Green: turmeric over indigo
Exact recipes are in our Sanganeri printing process guide.
Who printed what
The book notes that Chhipa women also worked in printing – usually simple, bold bhaants, outline printing and Dabu work – while fine, multi-colour bhaants were printed by men. Sanganer's traditional printing was done only on cotton. Over time, Dabu and indigo work and phadad printing shifted to Bagru, while Sanganer focused on cloth for cities and export.
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FAQ
What is Sanganeri chintz?
Hand block printed cotton from Sanganer with fine floral butis on a white ground, traditionally in red and black with natural yellows, blues and greens.
What is mein ki chhapai?
Printing with resist paste. In Sanganer the paste could include pine resin, beeswax and desi ghee, and Chhipas kept the recipe as a trade secret.
Is chheent the same as Dabu?
No. Chheent is the printed floral cloth; Dabu is one resist method (mud resist with indigo) that may be used in making it.
