Bagru Textiles welcomes anyone who would like to visit our on-site operations.
Bagru is located 28 kilometers west of Jaipur, Rajasthan, India. It is easily accessible by a hired driver or even local public transportation off of Ajmer Highway (NH-8). Please contact us for directions.
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Bagru Textiles offers free 1 to 2 hour tours of Bagru, which includes visiting the factories and meeting the artisans. After the tour you may join us at the home of our director, Vijendra Chhipa, for complimentary chai and to look at Bagru Textiles products and other textiles from Bagru.
If you are interested in a more in-depth Bagru experience, we also offer a hands-on 2-day block printing workshop. This includes a tour of Bagru to learn the intricate details of the printing process, like how to prepare fabric, make the dyes, and block print. Each participant will receive 4 meters of fabric to hand block print with a variety of designs of their choosing over the 2-day period. We can also arrange for the hemming of the printed fabric into bandanas, handkerchiefs, scarves, totes, and more at a small additional cost. Please email us for more details and pricing.
We can also accommodate large groups (up to 20 people) with a short 4-hour block printing workshop.
A Brief Note on Visiting Bagru Textiles
If you want to visit the Bagru Textiles that ensures fair wages and fair trade, make sure you know who you are looking for. There are many artisans living and working in Bagru who want to show you their shops, factories, and homes. Unfortunately, some of them will tell that they know about Bagru Textiles, but will then misguide you. Once you get to Bagru please call Vijendra Chhipa (09414922944), the director of Bagru Textiles.
Ethical Tourism
At Bagru Textiles we not only believe in fair trade and transparency, but we also believe in minimizing our negative impacts on the local cultures and environment. There are many ways to respect the local culture and environment when you come to visit us here in Bagru! In the list below you will find a few basic suggests on how to make your travels enjoyable for you and for the people you encounter when you travel.
- One cardinal rule that you should practice wherever you are going is respect. Bagru is a rural village with a booming spirit and friendly community. Still it is easy to become frustrated with a local when you do not understand the basic cultural norms. Follow this link for a brief guide on cultural norms in India. Note that Bagru, Rajasthan has it’s own local culture, and language, but knowing very basic Hindi or Rajasthani will be helpful. Taking a few minutes to understand this will ensure that your experience is pleasant.
- If you have read through our Mission & Core Values, then you know Bagru Textiles was founded on the ideals of fair wages and fair trade. While in Bagru you might have the opportunity to shop for local handicrafts. While bargaining is definitely acceptable please realize the time and skill that goes into making these crafts. Bargaining for a unreasonably low price is not only insulting to the artisan, but also pressures the storekeeper to sell a product at a rate that could not possibly provide a fair wage for the person or people who have made the craft.
- In Bagru, like in many places of India, litter is a major concern. You should do you best to take out of Bagru what you have taken in.
- Bagru is located on the outskirts of the Thar Desert. Depending on what season you are visiting it is possible that the water supply is scarce. Wasting water is frowned upon. Not only is water critical for life, but it is a necessary element in the block printing process. Though some families have access to filtered water many people in Bagru do not.
- Photos are a great way to share your experience with friends and loved-ones at home and as you may already know many Indians love to have their photos taken. Unfortunately, many times photos that are posted on the Internet (facebook, twitter, blogs, etc.) are taken out of their context and misconstrued. Please make sure that you are accountable with how you take photographs and what you do with them after you leave Bagru.
- Bagru is a large village. Many women wear sarees or salwaar camis suits. For your own comfort and for the comfort of the locals it is best to dress conservatively (whether Indian or not) when visiting Bagru.
- If you have any questions or concerns regarding your visit to Bagru please do not hesitate to contact us at bagrutextiles@gmail.com
