Ajrak, Bagru, Dabu: What's the Difference and How Do You Choose?
A quick word on hand block printing in India
If you've ever searched for a hand block printed kurta or a set of printed cushion covers and ended up more confused than when you started, you're not alone. Ajrak, Bagru, Dabu — these words get used a lot, sometimes interchangeably, which doesn't help anyone.
They're all types of Indian hand block printing, but they come from different regions, use different techniques, and produce very different results. Once you know the basics, shopping for block printed textiles becomes a lot more satisfying. You stop buying randomly and start choosing with intention.
What is Ajrak printing?
Ajrak comes from Kutch in Gujarat and from Sindh (across the border in Pakistan). It's one of the oldest surviving block printing traditions in the subcontract, with roots going back several thousand years.
The process is what makes it special. An Ajrak piece goes through multiple rounds of dyeing and resist printing, sometimes up to 14 to 16 steps. The artisan applies natural dye, lets it dry, adds a resist paste, dyes again, washes, repeats. The result is a print that's the same on both sides of the fabric — a quality you almost never find in other block print styles.
What does Ajrak look like?
Think deep indigo and rich madder red, with bold geometric and medallion patterns. Ajrak designs tend to be tightly packed and symmetrical, with a certain gravity to them. They don't whisper. If you want something that reads as traditional and confident, Ajrak is your answer.
Natural dyes are central to authentic Ajrak — indigo from the plant, red from madder root, and black from iron and tamarind. The colours deepen and soften with each wash, which is part of the appeal.
What is Bagru printing?
Bagru is a small town about 32 kilometres from Jaipur, and it gives this style its name. The Chhipa community has been printing here for generations, using a combination of resist printing and natural dyes.
The classic Bagru palette is earthy — ochre, rust, olive, indigo, black on cream or off-white. The base fabric (usually cotton or cotton-silk) is first treated with a natural mordant called harda, which is what gives Bagru its characteristic warm, slightly yellow base tone before any printing even begins.
What does Bagru look like?
Bagru designs are floral and geometric, but they feel more relaxed than Ajrak. The motifs are often spaced out with breathing room between them. It's a print that works beautifully in home settings — tablecloths, curtains, quilts — because it reads as warm and lived-in rather than formal.
If Ajrak is a statement, Bagru is a mood.
What is Dabu printing?
Dabu is a mud-resist technique, also from Rajasthan. The word 'dabu' refers to the paste itself — a mixture of clay, lime, wheat chaff, and gum that the printer applies by hand using a block. Wherever the paste goes, the dye can't penetrate. After drying in the sun (sometimes with a layer of sawdust pressed in to prevent smudging), the cloth is dipped in dye, and the paste is washed away to reveal the resist pattern underneath.
What does Dabu look like?
The defining quality of Dabu is its softness. Because the resist isn't perfectly uniform — it's hand-applied, after all — the edges of the design have a slightly blurred, organic quality. The palette leans towards indigo, grey, dusty rose, and muted earth tones. It's the most subtle of the three styles.
Dabu is the one for you if you like things that look a little aged and imperfect in the best possible way. It suits slow, considered interiors — linen napkins, quilted bedspreads, quiet cushion covers.
How to choose between them
There's no wrong answer here, but a few questions can help you narrow it down.
What colours do you already have at home?
- Deep navy, burgundy, black: Ajrak will feel right at home.
- Warm neutrals, rust, mustard: go Bagru.
- White, grey, soft pastels: Dabu's muted tones will sit beautifully.
What's the product for?
For everyday accessories like wallets and tote bags, Bagru and Dabu both wear well and age gracefully. For something you want to feel ceremonial or gift-worthy, Ajrak's bold geometry makes an impression.
What do you want the piece to say?
- Rooted in tradition, confident, heritage-forward: Ajrak.
- Warm, earthy, relaxed: Bagru.
- Quiet, artful, understated: Dabu.
At Kari by Kriti, most of our block printed pieces use Bagru and Dabu techniques, because they translate so naturally into home decor and everyday accessories. The prints are worked on cotton and cotton-blend fabrics that wash well and soften with time.
If you're new to block printing and wondering where to start, a small accessory is a good way in. A block print wallet or a quilted tote bag lets you live with the print before committing to larger pieces for your home. And once you've held something hand block printed — felt the slight variation in ink pressure, seen how the pattern doesn't quite repeat identically twice — it's difficult to go back to machine prints.
That slight imperfection is the whole point.
