A Jaipuri razai is a lightweight cotton quilt from Jaipur, Rajasthan. It weighs about 1 to 1.5 kg for a double, is filled with finely carded cotton rather than polyester, and is hand block printed on both sides so it is reversible. It is warm in the way a wool jumper is warm: by trapping air, not by weight.
Why it is so light
The filling is cotton that has been carded (combed) until it is almost fluffy. A traditional razai uses 100 to 300 grams of this cotton for a single, spread thin and evenly and then quilted by hand with running stitches so it cannot bunch. The air trapped in that layer is the insulation. Jaipur winters are cold at night and warm by day, and this is the quilt that was made for exactly that.
How warm is it?
Comfortable on its own from about 16 to 21 C (60 to 70 F). Below that, layer it over a duvet or use it as the top layer. In summer it works as a bedspread or an air conditioner blanket.
Sizes
- Single: about 60 x 90 inches (152 x 228 cm).
- Double: about 90 x 108 inches (228 x 274 cm). Covers a queen or king-size bed.
Washing
Machine wash cold on gentle, mild detergent, no bleach. Line dry flat or in shade; a tumble dryer on low is fine. Wash separately the first two times, as natural block-print dyes release a little colour. Do not dry clean; the solvents strip the cotton filling.
How to tell a real one
- Both sides are printed and the pattern registration is slightly imperfect. That is the hand.
- Quilting lines are stitched, not glued, and run the whole length.
- It folds to the size of a pillow. Polyester-filled copies stay puffy.
- It smells faintly of cotton and dye, not of plastic.
Ours are printed in Sanganer, outside Jaipur, and quilted by hand. Delivery across India takes 5 to 8 days with tracking; free shipping over ₹999. See the razais and bedding