chhimpa

textile

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June 24, 2026

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The term "chhimpa" refers to calico prints, a type of all-cotton fabric originating in India. These prints were decorated with designs, such as a lotus pattern. Calico itself is a plain-woven cotton fabric that was an important trade commodity between India and Europe, particularly in the 17th and 18th centuries. The earliest surviving fragments of calico date back to the 15th century and were found in Egypt, though they are believed to be of Gujarati manufacture. Calico printing centers were located in various regions of India, including Gujarat and Rajasthan.1

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calico
…Hemacandra, an Indian writer, mentions chhimpa, or calico prints, decorated with chhapanti, or a printed lotus design. The earliest fragments to survive (15th century) have been found not in India but at Fusṭāṭ, in the neighbourhood of Cairo. The examples, resist-dyed (in which parts of the fabric to be left…
Read More
…Hemacandra, an Indian writer, mentions chhimpa, or calico prints, decorated with chhapanti, or a printed lotus design. The earliest fragments to survive (15th century) have been found not in India but at Fusṭāṭ, in the neighbourhood of Cairo. The examples, resist-dyed (in which parts of the fabric to be left…
Read More