Sanganer- Handmade Paper

Sanganer has been producing handmade paper for centuries. It is just 16 km from Jaipur on the Tonk road. The town is renowned for its craft, hand-printed textiles and above all for handmade paper industry. It is said that artists in Mughal Period were also using Sanganeri paper for painting. Besides this, one can discover remains of palaces and Jain temples exploring the cultural roots of Indian heritage in Sanganer.

As the place is situated on the bank of river Saraswati, there is abundance of clear water and open space, which is essential for papermaking. It is said that Emperor Babur encouraged the establishment of paper industry during 1520 in Alwar, Rajasthan. Then in 16th century, Raja Man Singh, the ruler of Amber, brought ‘Kagzis’ to Sanganer. 'Kagzis’ are the expert artisans of handmade industry. They can be discovered in the Kagazi Mohalla of Sanganer. Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II bought about the idea of handmade paper industry, in Sanganer, in 1728. After that the town emerged out as one of the biggest papermaking center in northern India. The industry got a good encouragement after independence as KVIC (the Khadi and Village Industries Commission) included the paper for the promotion of crafts industry in Sanganer. As a result, there are about 10 handmade paper industries at present.

Making paper by hand is a long and laborious process. All kinds of waste paper and rags are collected and shredded, then soaked, strained and beaten repeatedly into a soft pulp that is left to ferment for eight days. After thoroughly washing the pulp, it is put into frames of wire or bamboo to form sheets. These sheets are then pressed and dyed and hung out to dry. To save labour and time, in recent years machines have been introduced for shredding and pulp- beating.

Although the papermaking is a manual process yet machines are used now a day. One can see big sheets of paper drying everywhere on the way at the riverbank and surrounding fields. Sanganer prints are one of its own kinds and well known all over the world. The Sanganer handmade paper has become very popular for writing pads, envelops, albums, greeting, wedding cards etc.

A large number of products are prepared from these papers such as carry bags, shopping bags, gift bags etc. Apart from this these are also used as cover, for preparation of decorative items etc. Now a day bags of handmade paper having stylish and elegant look are in much demand. For more safety and attractive purpose handmade bags with more eco-friendly material are being introduced.

Another specialty of Sanganer is hand block printing on locally made cotton cloth. The patterns are made in huge tints. Because of their excellent designs, they are in great demand in India and abroad. Therefore the material is exported not only in India but abroad also. The pattern in bright colors with white background is an outstanding work. Not only this but small floral pattern is the specialty of Sanganer block print.

These handmade papers are prepared with various beautiful pattern and designs to amplify their beauty as per the demand of people or business organization. People are having a great charm for this material, as it is not only attractive but eco-friendly also.