 Indians are known to use resist method of printing designs on cotton fabrics , which can be traced back 2000 years . Initially , wax and even rice starch were used for printing on fabrics . Until recently batik was made only for dresses and tailored garments , but modern batik is applied in numerous items , such as murals , wall hangings , paintings , household linen , and scarves , with livelier and brighter patterns . Contemporary batik making in India is also done by the Deaf women of Delhi , these women are fluent in Indian Sign Language and also work in other vocational programs . 
