Chikankari Chhapai

The block printing process of the design is called “Chhapai” locally. Initially, the design to be worked on is printed on the fabric. The wooden block is dipped in the colour solution which is made by mixing gond (gum)and neel (indigo).Colour containing trays are covered with a bamboo frame. On top of this a felt piece is kept to avoid excessive sticking of colour. Through this the color is picked up in appropriate amount by the portion of the block that is to be printed. Then, it is printed on the fabric. In Lucknow, the printing process is done by a separate group of male artisans who mainly concentrates on printing.