Ajrakh block print

Ajrakh Block Print

Ajrakh is a traditional textile craft that originated in the Sind region of Pakistan around 3000 BC, as part of the Indus Valley civilization. Over time, it spread to other areas of India, including Kutch, Gujarat, and Rajasthan. The word "ajrakh" is believed to come from Arabic and means "blue," which is a prominent color in ajrakh prints.

Ajrakh printing became prominent in India in the 16th century when Khatri printers migrated from Sind to the Kutch district. The king of Kutch recognized the value of this textile art and encouraged Khatris to settle in uninhabited lands in Kutch. Some Khatri families also migrated to Rajasthan and settled in and around Barmer province, excelling in the art of ajrakh printing.

Ajrakh prints feature motifs and colors inspired by nature. Red symbolizes the earth, indigo blue represents twilight, and black and white are used to outline motifs and define symmetrical designs. Craftsmen use eco-friendly natural dyes derived from indigo plants and the roots of madder plants for red. Black is obtained from iron shavings or millet flour and molasses, with ground tamarind seeds added to thicken the dye.

Contemporary ajrakh motifs often feature vibrant contrasting colors like rust, yellow, and orange, with jewel-like shapes inspired by flowers, leaves, and stars. The trefoil motif, made of three sun discs entangled together, is the most common motif in ajrakh printing, representing the cohesive unit of the gods of earth, water, and sun.

The process of creating ajrakh textiles is intricate and time-consuming, involving several stages of work. The fabric is washed to remove starch and then dipped in a solution of camel dung, soda ash, and castor oil, a process known as "saaj." The fabric is then boiled in a solution of myrobalan nut for the "kasano" stage. A resin of lime and babool tree resin is printed onto the fabric to outline the motifs for the "khariyanu" stage. The fabric is printed with ferrous water and tamarind seed powder for the "kat" stage. A paste of clay, alum, and gum Arabic is used for resist printing in the "gach" stage. The fabric is then dyed with indigo and boiled with alizarin for the "rang" stage. Finally, the fabric is washed thoroughly to remove all the resist prints and excess dye for the "vichcharnu" stage.

Water is a crucial element in ajrakh printing, influencing the shades and hues of the colors and the success of the entire process. The iron content in water is a decisive factor that determines the quality of the final product. The entire process can take up to two weeks, resulting in exquisite and captivating designs that showcase the skill and dedication of the craftsmen and women involved. It is heartening to see the revival of eco-friendly natural dyes and traditional techniques in contemporary ajrakh designs, keeping this beautiful craft alive for generations to come.

Question and Answer

1.           1.      What is Ajrak printing?

Ans:-  Ajrak is a name given to a unique form of block printed shawls and tiles found in Sindh, Pakistan; Kutch, Gujarat; and Barmer, Rajasthan in India. Ajrak craft products are made with natural dyes. The entire production of the products includes both vegetable dyes and mineral dyes.

1.             2.      What is the history of Ajrak?

Ans:- An ancient craft, the history of the Ajrak can be traced back to the civilizations of the Indus Valley that existed around 2500 BC-1500 BC. The term “Ajrak”, may be derived from “Azrak”, meaning blue in Arabic, as blue happens to be the one of the principal colours in Ajrak printing.

2.           3.     Why is Ajrakh so expensive?

Ans:- High cost of blocks: The high cost of wooden blocks used in Ajrakh printing imposes a great financial burden on artisans as one block costs as much as Rs 3,000. Crunch of water resources: There is lack of water resources which is a mandatory criterion for ajrakh printing in and around printing hubs.

3.           4.      Where does Ajrakh printing belong to?

Ans:- Ajrak (Sindhi: اجرڪ), also known as Ajrakh, is a unique form of block printing found mostly in Sindh, Pakistan and Ajrakhpur, Kutch district, India. These shawls display special designs and patterns made using block printing by stamps.

4.          5.       How many types of Ajrak are there?

Ans:- There are 22 processes in Ajrak printing and is very tedious and time consuming. Very few printers go through all the stages. There are variations on the basic theme (teli ajrak) that make for different types of ajrak (including sabuni ajrak, do rangi ajrak and kori ajrak).

5.              6.   How can we identify Ajrakh?

Ans:- To identify ajrakh one needs to look for fabric with a background of red or blue (though other vegetable dye colours like yellow and green have been introduced) Traditionally four colours were used red (alizarin), blue (indigo), black (iron acetate) white (resist).

6.           7.       How many Colours are there in Ajrak?

Ans:- Moreover, the primary color dyes are red, white, black, blue, yellow, and indigo. However, there are more than 20 colors used for the manufacturing of colorful Ajrak nowadays.

8.    Which community is closely associated with the craft?

Ans:- The Khatri community has been closely associated with the production of Ajrakh print. However, the Maldhari pastoral community is traditionally associated with wearing the print.

9.    What is the story behind the name ajrakh or Ajrak?

Ans:- Ajrakh is said to have drawn its name from the Sanskrit word ‘A-jharat‘, meaning ‘that which does not fade’. ‘Azrak‘, the Arabic word for blue could have also played a role in Ajrakh’s etymology.

10.  What is the theme behind ajrakh?

Ans:- The prominent theme behind ajrakh is the sky as its theme and is represented by the colour blue, evening by the colour red and night by black. The white star-like motifs represent stars.

11.  What are the famous designs associated with ajrakh

Ans:- The famous traditional designs associated with the print is Champakali, Raiya, Kharek, Nipad, Grinari. However, as always, craftsmen offer their own subtle deviations from these to depict Amlaliya, Jalebiya and the famous Kakkar pattern. ‘Saudagiri patterns’ in Ajrakh are the most highly documented genre. These are done with smaller grids. They consist of more organic motifs within a symmetrical lattice. Riyal patterns are designs in Ajrakh, which are built around circular motifs and block prints as well.

12.  How have the Ajrakh craftsmen made the craft more sustainable?

Ans:-Ajrakh is a craft that is said to exist in harmony with nature, this is due to natural processes and ingredients involved in the making. Although the making is a water-intensive process, at every step, water is reused until it's saturated with dye and then is released to water the fields in a parched land. Thus, usage is a circular process that conserves natural resources. Besides, Ajrakh is also among the crafts that are made in specific seasons. All of this contributes to this being a part of what is known as sustainable clothing.

Steps to make Ajrakh

Step 1: Saaj or Washing: The fabric is soaked in castor oil, soda ash and camel dung overnight and washed in water to remove starch.

Step 2: Harde Dyeing: The fabric is dyed in a solution of harde nut. This prepares the fabric for dyeing.

Step 3: Sun Drying: After dyeing in harde, the fabric is left to dry in the sun. Exposure to sunlight makes the colour deeper.

Step 4: Resist Print: Resist adheres to the fabric and prevents the dye from colouring the part that has been printed with resist.

Step 5: Scrap iron is processed to create the black dye for Ajrakh. This is printed all over the fabric.

Step 6: Alum Resist: This process results in large areas filled with red and resist.

Step 7: Indigo Dyeing: This creates the trademark blue colour

Step 8: Repeat the washing: This is done to remove resist and unfixed colour.

Step 9: Colour dyeing in boiling water: After washing, the fabric is then color dyed in boiling.

Step 10: Dry it out: Once boiled, the fabric is washed and then kept in the sun to dry.

Step 11: The next step of the printing process is called Minakari which is another style of printing

Step 12: As is with Ajrakh, after each process the fabric has to be dried and washed and so it is after the Minakari work.

Step 13: Second colour dyeing: Depending on which colour is preferred, the fabric is now dipped into a second colour dye - such as orange.

Step 14: Often a liquid colour spray with the help of dried turmeric is used on the fabric.

Step 15: After the fabric is dyed a second time, it is then treated with an alum solution.

16: Final wash of the fabric is done in plain water and then left for drying. This then results in the finished product