More than a printing technique, Ajrakh block printing is the pride of a culture, an art that captures the beauty of rhythm and repetition. Ajrakh is a gift handed down to us to preserve, cherish and flaunt.
History of Ajrakh
Sindh province of Pakistan is the birthplace of Ajrakh. It also thrives in Ajarakhpur of Kutch, Gujarat, India. Traditionally Ajrakh used mainly two colours; red and blue. Over time other colours, like black, green, yellow, etc, were introduced. The name Ajrakh itself is thought to have originated from Arabic Azraq, meaning blue.
Punjab of Pakistan is home to Sajrak or Saraiki Ajrakh, an offshoot of Ajrakh which has become the identity and pride of the Saraki people. As cyan is the colour of Saraiki culture, Sajrak predominantly uses cyan and, often, blue.
Though the exact origin of Ajrakh is unknown, it is assumed that this printing method could date back to the Indus Valley civilization. Excavations have revealed that patterns similar to Ajrakh have been found in many ancient cultures, including Mesopotamia and Egypt.
Ajrakh Block Printing Patterns
There is palpable Mughal influence on Ajrakh, from the floral motifs that are an integral part of Mughal architecture to the geometrical patterns.
Traditionally the textile has a central web with motifs repeating on a tight grid. Vertical and horizontal borders frame this central web and separate one Ajrakh from the next. The borders are then printed with wide margins to finish off the design.
Ajrakh textile is famous for its double-sided (do-rukha) printing, where every dot and line on one side is replicated on the other. Though conventionally, men wore Ajrakh printed lungis, turbans, and gamchas, later on, women soon caught up. Do-rukha printing became a natural choice for shawls and wraps used by women.
Ajrakh Block Printing and Dyeing Process
Ajrakh block printing is a labour-intensive, time-consuming skill. It takes five carvers three days to carve out the intricate blocks from teak wood. In Sindh, Acacia Arabica, indigenous to the region, is used to make the blocks.
A single design needs more than twenty blocks to complete. Each colour requires a separate block, and the designs are often multicolored, adding to the number of blocks. It takes dozens of artisans working for hours to perfect a piece of clothing.
Ajrakh uses resist dying to create stratified and intricate patterns on cotton fabric. Natural dyes - vegetable and mineral - are used for printing. Justifying the name, Indigo is the main dye in Ajrakh. Madder was used for red, though alizarin has long replaced madder. Henna imparts the yellowish-green hue, and rhubarb root the brown. Repeated dyeing, drenching, and drying ensure deep and fast colouring.
An Ajrakh garment's exquisite, multi-layered design results from months of elaborate, skillful, and back-breaking efforts. From preparing the cloth, the dyes, and the blocks, to printing, washing, and drying, an Ajrakh print requires dedicated labour. The popularity of this craft owes it to the artisans for keeping its authenticity uncompromised.
Ajrakh in the present day
Fortunately, unlike similar crafts, Ajrakh has remained afloat even after the advent of screen printing. Today's market is flooding with cheaper choices that are screen-printed using artificial dyes, which has rendered many artisans jobless. Yet, Ajrakh is synonymous with Sindh's culture and traditions, and the demand for authentic designs has not declined.
Nowadays, block-printed Ajrakh fabric is globally in vogue as much for its exquisite patterns and intricate craftsmanship as for using natural materials.
It is often challenging to spot genuine Ajrakh in a sea of counterfeits, but a little attention to detail can save an educated customer from being deceived. Klum showcases a range of finest and authentic Ajrakh sourced from the best artisans of Kutch.
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