Railway
Which community in Rajasthan is known for practising block printing?
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Answer: Option C — Chhipa
Detailed Solution
The Chhipas (also spelt Chippa or Chhipa) are the traditional community of hand-block printers and dyers of Rajasthan and Gujarat. The name is linked with the Hindi word "chhapna", meaning to print. They have practised this craft for centuries, passing the skills from one generation to the next.
Hand-block printing involves carving designs onto wooden blocks (usually made of teak or sheesham wood), dipping the blocks in dye, and pressing them by hand onto cloth, repeating the pattern along the length of the fabric. The Chhipas use natural dyes made from indigo, madder, pomegranate peel, turmeric, iron rust and alum.
Famous block-printing centres of Rajasthan:
Sanganer (near Jaipur): famous for fine floral designs on a white background. Sanganeri hand-block printing received a GI tag in 2010.
Bagru (near Jaipur): famous for the "dabu" technique, a mud-resist printing method using a paste of mud, lime and gum, and for natural colours on a light background. Bagru hand-block printing received a GI tag in 2011.
Akola (Chittorgarh) and Barmer: famous for "ajrakh" style printing.
Other well-known block prints of India include Ajrakh (Kutch, Gujarat, and Barmer), Bagh print (Madhya Pradesh, by the Khatri community), Kalamkari (Machilipatnam, Andhra Pradesh) and Dabu (also in Madhya Pradesh).
Block printing is a family craft: men usually carve the blocks and print, while women help with washing, drying and finishing the cloth.
Why not the other options?
- ✗The Langas and Manganiyars are hereditary musicians of the Thar desert.
- ✗The Kalbeliyas are a snake-charmer community known for the Kalbeliya dance (UNESCO intangible heritage, 2010).
Quick tip
Remember: Chhipa = block printers of Rajasthan; Sanganer (white base, floral) and Bagru (dabu mud-resist) are near Jaipur; Bagh print = Khatris of Madhya Pradesh.
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Paintings, Crafts, Dress & Tribes — Preparation
This question tests your understanding of Paintings, Crafts, Dress & Tribes, a key topic in the General Knowledge section. The detailed solution above uses a step-by-step approach to show the reasoning, and where available, a shortcut that helps you solve similar questions in under 90 seconds during the actual exam.
This topic covers India's traditional painting styles (such as Madhubani, Warli, Pattachitra, Kalamkari, Gond and Tanjore), handicrafts and textiles, traditional dresses, and the major tribes of each state and their customs. It also includes Geographical Indication (GI) tags given to crafts and products. Questions usually ask which state a painting or craft belongs to, which tribe lives in a region, or what a traditional dress is called. Warli belongs to Maharashtra, Madhubani to Bihar, Pattachitra to Odisha and West Bengal, and Gond art to Madhya Pradesh. Grouping tribes by state, and noting the largest tribe of key states (such as the Bhils and the Santhals), helps with elimination. Practise the paintings, crafts and tribes questions below, written in the style of the general awareness sections of exams such as SSC, banking, railways, CUET GAT, MAH CET and CLAT. Each question comes with a detailed explanation that adds related facts, so every question helps you revise more than one point.