Offbeat Jaipur: Block Printing in Sanganer & Bagru
Skip one fort and spend the day with printers instead. Sanganer and Bagru show how Jaipur's famous textiles are made.
21 September 2026 · 2 min read · Best in Oct, Nov, Dec, Jan, Feb, Mar
Jaipur's headline sights are wonderful, and also very crowded. If you have already seen Amber Fort, the City Palace and Hawa Mahal, there is a quieter way to spend a day: follow the textiles.
Sanganer
Sanganer, on the southern edge of the city, is known for hand block printing on cotton, and for handmade paper. In its workshops, printers stamp intricate carved wooden blocks onto cloth in repeating patterns. Many workshops will let you try it yourself.
Bagru
Around 30 kilometres from Jaipur, Bagru is known for dabu, a mud-resist technique using natural dyes. The cloth is printed, coated with a paste, dyed, and then washed to reveal the pattern. It is slow, and worth watching.
A museum stop
The Anokhi Museum of Hand Printing near Amber has displays on the craft and its history, and is a good way to understand what you have just watched.
Trips in Jaipur, all handled
See all- Go in the morning, before the workshops get busy
- Ask before photographing artisans
- Buy from the workshops directly: prices are fair and the money goes to makers
- Wash new cloth separately at first, as natural dyes can bleed
Learning to print a single pattern is a better souvenir than anything you can buy.
Jaipur's walled city and Jantar Mantar are both recognised as UNESCO World Heritage sites, so keep time for them as well. Timings, ticket rules and dates change from year to year, so confirm the current details before you travel.
Want this planned for you? See Jaipur trips — stay, food, travel and a local host, all handled — or book a single experience.