Dabu Hand Block Print Kota Doria Indigo Saree

Dabu or Daboo is an ancient Rajasthani mud-resist technique being employed for more than 1300 years in India. Dabu is derived from the word ‘dabaana’ meaning to press.

In this technique, mud paste is applied on the fabric as dabu using hand-carved wooden stamps. The paste is made with a mixture of Gur, Gond, Chuna and Kali Mitti. The mud makes the printed area resistant to dyes then Sawdust is sprinkled on wet dabu print to avoid smudging of pattern. Dabu block print is a labor-intensive craft that includes multiple stages of washing and printing. The prints of Dabu motifs are usually picked from nature like peacocks, leaves, cornstalks (boota), sunflower, mangoes and various other animals and birds’ figure are used.

After that the fabric is left under sunlight to dry completely. Next, the fabric is dipped in indigo vat of dye, dried again and washed to remove all traces of the mud, and revealing the resist area to be the original white. Derived from Indigofera tinctoria plant Indigo is the most exquisite and luxurious of all natural colours worldwide. Indigo dyeing is an ancient process and it is 100% natural and organic.