Batik in India


Batik is both an art and a craft, which is becoming more popular and well known in the West as a wonderfully creative medium. The art of decorating cloth in this way, using wax and dye, has been practised for centuries. In Java, Indonesia, batik is part of an ancient tradition, and some of the finest batik cloth in the world is still made there. The word batik originates from the Javanese tik and means to dot. 
To make a batik, selected areas of the cloth are blocked out by brushing or drawing hot wax over them, and the cloth is then dyed. The parts covered in wax resist the dye and remain the original colour. This process of waxing and dyeing can be repeated to create more elaborate and colourful designs. After the final dyeing the wax is removed and the cloth is ready for wearing or showing. 
Contemporary batik, while owing much to the past, is markedly different from the more traditional and formal styles. For example, the artist may use etching, discharge dyeing, stencils, different tools for waxing and dyeing, wax recipes with different resist values and work with silk, cotton, wool, leather, paper or even wood and ceramics. 
Batik is historically the most expressive and subtle of the resist methods. The ever widening range of techniques available offers the artist the opportunity to explore a unique process in a flexible and exciting way.
Batik printing can be done anywhere but each area and region has its own specialty in designs and colors. In India, batik art is now mainly produced in various centers in Gujarat (Mundra and Mandvi), West Bengal (Shanti Niketan), Tamil Nadu (Injambakkam) and Madhya Pradesh (Indore, Bhairavgarh), among others.
Batik in Gujarat: Traditionally, the Khatri community of Gujarat were the only set of artisans for this art. There was a time when Mundra and Bhujpur (village near Mundra) were known for their Batik. Today, Mundra and Mandvi in Gujarat’s Kutch district are the main centers of batik production.
Batik in West Bengal: Shanti Niketan in West Bengal is the art hub for batik. The ancient craft of batik is preserved at Visva-Bharati University in West Bengal, an institution founded by the Nobel Laureate Rabindranath Tagore.
Batik in Madhya Pradesh: Today, there is no one single community involved in the production of Batik clothes. There are artisans in various regions who are trained in Batik work.Batik_contempory_Yellow-OrangeBatik is done on a large-scale in Indore and Bhairavgarh in Madhya Pradesh.  A few kilometers from Ujjain, on the banks of river Kshipra, is the small town of Bhairavgarh. Multi-colored and variously designed Batik sarees are popular and attractive for their contrast color schemes. Bhairavgarh became the hub of Batik printing in Madhya Pradesh. Batik is also prominent in Indore, Madhya Pradesh.
Cholamandalam near Chennai, Tamil Nadu, an Artists’ Village, which was established in 1966, is India’s largest artists’ commune and another center for batik, situated in Injambakkam, Tamil Nadu. Batik that is produced here is known for its original and vibrant designs.


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