The Complete Guide To Indian Fabric Prints: Ikat, Kalamkari, Khun, Sanganeri & More

A guide for buyers, gift-givers, and anyone who wants to understand what they're actually bringing into their home.

Our country, India, has one of the richest textile traditions in the world. But most people buying Indian fabric products, cushion covers, organisers, gift hampers, accessories, know very little about what makes one fabric different from another, what the names mean, and why any of it matters. Recently, a friend went to a designer store, and said, "They had block-printed fabric, but their cotton was so soft. Not like the cotton you get outside." I wondered if she was talking about mull cotton. So I asked her to take me there. Upon visiting the boutique store, I realised the challenge was not that the fabric was different. It was about the Retail Halo Effect. Which makes people pay more, without fully understanding.

This guide exists to change that.

We work with handcrafted artisanal Indian fabric like Ikat, Kalamkari, Khun, Sanganeri, and Ajrakh, using weaving and printing traditions that are centuries old. We've built our products around these fabrics because we believe they're worth knowing, worth buying, and worth keeping alive commercially.

Here is everything you need to know about each one.

What Is Ikat? India's Fabric That Moves

Ikat is one of India's most recognisable weaving traditions, practiced across Odisha, Telangana, Gujarat, and Andhra Pradesh. The name comes from the Malay-Indonesian word mengikat, meaning to tie or bind.

What sets Ikat apart from other Indian fabrics is its production process. In most printed fabrics, the pattern is applied to the finished cloth. In Ikat, the threads are resist-dyed before they are woven. Sections of the warp or weft threads (or both) are tightly bound to resist the dye, creating the pattern in the thread itself before a single weave begins.

The result is Ikat's most distinctive characteristic: a slightly blurred, feathered edge on every motif. This is not a flaw. It is the direct evidence of the technique, proof that the pattern was built into the thread, not printed on top of the fabric. No two Ikat pieces are ever perfectly identical because the dye resists the thread unevenly by nature.

What Ikat looks like: Bold geometric patterns — chevrons, diamonds, interlocking shapes, zigzags — in high-contrast colour combinations. Deep blues and whites from Odisha. Rich jewel tones from Telangana's Pochampally region. Earthy golds and reds from Gujarat.

Where it comes from: Odisha (Sambalpuri Ikat), Telangana (Pochampally Ikat), Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh. Each region has its own colour palette, motif vocabulary, and weaving technique.

What it feels like in your home: Ikat reads as bold, graphic, and alive. It has a visual rhythm that makes plain furniture feel considered. In a neutral living room, one set of Ikat cushion covers changes the entire character of the space.

At Tohfa: We use Ikat in our cushion covers, roll-up organisers, and travel pouches — most distinctively in our half-and-half design, where Ikat is paired with Khun or Kalamkari in the same piece. [Shop Ikat cushion covers →]

What Is Kalamkari? The Fabric That Tells a Story

Kalamkari translates literally as "pen work" kalam meaning pen, kari meaning craft. It is one of India's oldest hand-painting and block-printing traditions, originating in the towns of Srikalahasti and Machilipatnam in Andhra Pradesh.

Historically, Kalamkari artists (called Chitrakars) painted scenes from the Ramayana and Mahabharata on temple walls and fabric using a bamboo or date palm pen dipped in fermented jaggery and water. The process involved multiple steps of natural dyeing, sun-bleaching, and hand-painting, with each colour requiring a separate application and drying cycle.

Today, Kalamkari exists in two forms. The Srikalahasti style is entirely hand-painted, each piece drawn freehand by an artist. The Machilipatnam style uses carved wooden blocks to print the outline, which is then filled with natural dyes by hand. Both require extraordinary skill and time.

What Kalamkari looks like: Intricate motifs, peacocks, paisleys, lotus flowers, deity figures, mythological scenes, rendered in deep earthy tones of indigo, rust, mustard, and forest green. The palette comes from natural dyes: pomegranate rind for yellow, indigo plant for blue, iron-rich water for black, natural mordants for depth and permanence.

Where it comes from: Andhra Pradesh — specifically Srikalahasti and Machilipatnam. GI-tagged to these regions.

What it feels like in your home: A statement piece. Kalamkari doesn't need company. One Kalamkari cushion cover on a sofa, or a Kalamkari pouch on a desk, draws the eye and starts a conversation. It works beautifully with warm wooden furniture and homes that lean toward the bohemian or art-forward.

At Tohfa: We use Kalamkari in our cushion covers — particularly in the half-and-half design where Kalamkari is paired with Khun, creating two entirely different craft traditions in one piece. [Shop Kalamkari fabric tray→]

What Is Khun? The Fabric Almost Nobody Knows

This is where things get interesting, and where Tohfa's story begins.

Khun (also known as Khana, Dharwad Khun, or Guledgudda Khun, Irkal) is a handwoven fabric native to Guledgudda, a small village in the Bagalkot district of Karnataka. It is one of India's least-known and most extraordinary textiles.

Khun is a cotton-silk blend woven on pit looms by families who have done nothing else for generations. Its defining characteristic is its brocade weave, small nature-inspired motifs (jowar seeds, temple chariots, elephant footprints) woven directly into the fabric using contrasting threads. The result is a textile with geometric depth that catches the light differently depending on the angle. The jewel-toned palette, electric blue, emerald green, magenta, ruby red — comes from the mineral-rich water near Guledgudda, which affects how the dyes absorb into the cotton-silk thread.

At its peak, 50,000 people in Guledgudda worked in the Khun trade. Powerlooms eventually made handloom Khun unviable. Weavers left. By some accounts, there was a point when one working handloom remained in the village.

Khun survived because a handful of designers and organisations decided it was worth saving. Today it is experiencing a quiet revival, but it remains largely unknown outside Karnataka and Maharashtra, which means that most people who bring a Khun piece into their home are carrying something genuinely rare.

What Khun looks like: Structured, geometric, architectural. The brocade motifs give it a visual texture that photographs cannot fully capture. The jewel tones are deep and saturated — not subtle. In a room, Khun holds its own without competing.

Where it comes from: Guledgudda, Bagalkot district, Karnataka. GI-tagged to this region.

What it feels like in your home: Refined and deeply rooted. Pairs beautifully with contemporary furniture because its geometry reads as modern even though the craft is ancient. It's the fabric that guests ask about.

At Tohfa: Khun is our signature fabric, the one that defines our half-and-half design. We pair it with Kalamkari, Ikat, and Sanganeri to create cushion covers that carry two craft traditions in one piece. Our cushion covers are among our most consistently sold-out products. [Shop Khun Diwali Hamper→]

What Is Sanganeri Block Print? India's Most Beloved Print

Named after the town of Sanganer near Jaipur in Rajasthan, Sanganeri block print is arguably India's most recognisable and widely loved fabric tradition. It has been practiced in Sanganer for over 500 years.

The process is hands-on at every stage. Artisans hand-carve wooden blocks (often passed down through generations) with intricate floral and geometric patterns. The blocks are pressed repeatedly into fabric in a careful sequence, each colour requiring a separate block and a separate pass. The fabric is then washed in the Saraswati River, whose mineral content gives Sanganeri its characteristic luminosity — and sun-dried.

Traditional Sanganeri uses natural vegetable dyes and mordants, producing its signature palette: deep pinks, blues, greens, and yellows on white or cream fabric. Contemporary Sanganeri often combines traditional block printing with modern colour palettes while preserving the hand-block technique.

What Sanganeri looks like: Repeating floral and geometric motifs, small blooms, delicate vines, fine geometric outlines, in cheerful, high-contrast colour combinations. It has a freshness that Kalamkari and Ikat don't lighter, more playful, less weighty.

Where it comes from: Sanganer, near Jaipur, Rajasthan. GI-tagged.

What it feels like in your home: Versatile and joyful. Sanganeri is the most forgiving Indian fabric print for new buyers — it layers easily with other textiles, works across modern and traditional interiors, and brightens a room without overwhelming it. If you're new to Indian fabric prints and unsure where to start, Sanganeri is the entry point.

At Tohfa: We use Sanganeri in our roll-up cosmetic organisers, travel pouches, and in the half-and-half cushion cover design. The Sanganeri-Khun combination is one of our most striking pairings. [Shop Sanganeri organisers →]

What Is Ajrakh? The Ancient Resist-Print of Kutch

Ajrakh is one of India's oldest and most complex block-printing traditions, a form of resist-printing practiced by the Khatri community of Kutch in Gujarat and parts of Sindh. The word Ajrakh is believed to derive from the Arabic Azraq, meaning blue, the signature colour of the tradition.

The Ajrakh process is one of the most labour-intensive in Indian textiles, involving 14 to 16 steps of dyeing, resist-application, and washing over several days. Natural dyes, indigo for blue, alizarin from madder root for red, are combined with resist pastes made from gum, clay, and lime to create the fabric's characteristic double-sided print, where the pattern reads clearly from both sides of the cloth.

Traditional Ajrakh motifs are geometric and interlocking, stars, medallions, and fine repeat patterns derived from Islamic geometric art and adapted over centuries by Khatri artisans in Gujarat.

What Ajrakh looks like: Deep indigo blue and rust red dominate. Fine geometric precision — intricate, repeated, structured. It reads as sophisticated and design-led rather than decorative. The double-sided quality means the fabric looks finished from every angle.

Where it comes from: Kutch, Gujarat — specifically the Dhamadka and Ajrakhpur villages. Also practiced in Barmer, Rajasthan.

What it feels like in your home: Contemporary and globally sophisticated. Ajrakh's geometry appeals to buyers who appreciate precision and design thinking. It works in minimalist interiors as well as in rich, layered spaces.

At Tohfa: We use Ajrakh in our roll-up cosmetic organisers and multipurpose travel pouches — currently available in 11 print options, including the Dabu Blue Ajrakh variant. [Shop Ajrakh sanitary pads keepers→]

Tohfa's Signature: The Half-and-Half Design

Most Indian fabric products choose one tradition and commit to it. Tohfa does something different.

Our signature half-and-half design combines two distinct Indian craft traditions in a single piece — Khun with Kalamkari, Ikat with Sanganeri, Khun with Ajrakh. Two entirely different visual personalities, two different regional origins, stitched together into one cushion cover or accessory.

The result is something that shouldn't work — but does. The structured geometry of Khun grounds the expressive fluidity of Kalamkari. The jewel tones of Khun amplify the earthy warmth of Ikat. Two halves that each carry a different story, reading as one cohesive whole.

Every piece is handcrafted by skilled women artisans in Mahim, Mumbai, using fabric sourced directly from artisan communities across India. No two pieces are perfectly identical — because that's what handcraft means.

How to Choose the Right Indian Fabric Print for Your Home

With five fabric traditions covered, here's a quick guide to which one belongs where.

Choose Ikat when you want boldness and graphic energy. Works best on sofas with neutral upholstery. Makes a strong statement without overwhelming a room.

Choose Kalamkari when you want story and depth. Works best as a focal point piece — one or two covers rather than a matching set. Pairs with warm wooden furniture.

Choose Khun when you want something rare and refined. Works beautifully with contemporary furniture because its geometric structure reads as modern. The conversation-starting fabric in any room.

Choose Sanganeri when you want versatility and joy. The most approachable Indian print for new buyers. Layers easily with other fabrics and brightens any space.

Choose Ajrakh when you want design precision and global sophistication. Works in minimalist and maximalist interiors equally well.

Can't decide? Our half-and-half design decides for you — and usually becomes the most interesting piece in the room.

Frequently Asked Questions: Indian Fabric Prints

What is the difference between Ikat and Kalamkari? Ikat is a woven fabric where the pattern is created by dyeing the threads before weaving, producing a characteristic blurred edge. Kalamkari is a hand-painted or block-printed fabric where the pattern is applied to the finished cloth using natural dyes and a pen or carved wooden block. Ikat is geometric and structural; Kalamkari is narrative and detailed.

What is Khun fabric and where does it come from? Khun is a handwoven cotton-silk brocade fabric from Guledgudda village in Bagalkot district, Karnataka. It is woven on pit looms by families who have practiced the craft for generations, producing small nature-inspired motifs in jewel-toned colours. Khun almost disappeared when powerlooms made handloom unviable — it is now experiencing a revival and remains one of India's rarest textiles.

How do I know if an Indian fabric product is genuinely handcrafted? Three things to look for: the fabric tradition is named specifically (Ikat, Kalamkari, Khun — not just "Indian fabric" or "ethnic print"), slight variation is acknowledged rather than hidden (handcrafted pieces are never perfectly uniform), and the maker community is identified. A product that can't answer "who made this and where" is almost certainly not handcrafted.

Which Indian fabric print is best for home décor? All five traditions in this guide work beautifully in home décor — they're not limited to clothing. Ikat and Khun work particularly well in living rooms. Kalamkari works as a statement piece. Sanganeri is the most versatile across different interior styles. Ajrakh works in both minimal and rich interiors.

Where can I buy authentic Indian fabric home décor in India? Tohfa is a Mumbai-based brand making handcrafted home décor from authentic Indian fabrics — cushion covers, trivets, and accessories in Ikat, Kalamkari, Khun, Sanganeri, and Ajrakh. All products are made by women artisans in Mumbai and ship across India. Shop at wearetohfa.in.

Is Sanganeri print the same as block print? Sanganeri is a specific type of hand block print originating from Sanganer near Jaipur, Rajasthan. Block print is the broader technique — Sanganeri is one of the most celebrated regional expressions of it, characterised by floral motifs on white or cream fabric using natural dyes.

What is the difference between handmade and digital print Indian fabric? Handmade Indian fabric (block print, hand-painting, hand-weaving) shows slight variation in pattern, colour depth, and alignment between pieces — this is evidence of the human hand. Digital print replicates the design with machine precision — every piece is identical. When buying Indian fabric products, ask specifically whether it is hand block-printed or digitally printed. The price difference reflects the difference in time, skill, and artisan income.

Shop Indian Fabric Products at Tohfa

All Tohfa products are made by a team of women artisans in Mahim, Mumbai, from authenticated Indian fabric traditions — ethically sourced, plastic-free, and built for daily use.

📍 Made in Mahim, Mumbai | Ships across India | wearetohfa.in