Bagru a region known for hand block printing, a dwelling famous for natural dyes, a suburb honoured for pickles bagru. These shawls display special designs and patterns made using block printing. Ajrak print is also famous in neighboring areas of india in the states of rajasthan and gujarat. Ajrakh is a valuable block printed textiles that needs to be preserved. Kutchs popular motifs come in red and black designs of women. Over the years, ajraks have become a symbol of the sindhi culture and traditions. Ajrakh is one of the oldest types of block printing on textiles still practised in parts of. The word ajrakh means keep it today and probably served as means of publicity. The process of ajrakh block printing according to ismail mohammed khatri, ajrakhpur the ajrakh process i have discussed the ajrakh block printing of kutch, india in a few of my blog posts but have not yet written a post containing the details of the process for details on the general background, read this post.
Bagru originated the tradition of printing, is not only popular in india, but even being a small village custom, the bagru print is known worldwide. Ajrakh prints originate in the dhamadka village, and feature geometric motifs made using natural colours. An introduction to indian block printing the kindcraft. Ajrakh patterns use complex geometry to create starry constellations in indigo. It is this history that has attracted the current international attention of ajrakh, and the promotion and documentation of it that has branded it authentic1 and. Ajrakh is a doublesided, blockprinted textile worn as caste dress by cattle herders in the desert regions of kachchh and thar in northwest india and sindh in pakistan, where it is made by khatri artisans. Holding a piece of ajrakh printed fabric in your hands is akin to holding a slice of history.
Ajrak printing is embedded into the culture of sindhi people owing to the traditions of the ancient indus valley. Dabu printing an ancient printing technique of rajasthan. Tutorial gym bag with keepme by bags handmade to add to your list ones kinda different. These ajrakhs are made by the khatri family residing in the kutch desert of gujarat, india a family that have been block printing for over nine generations. A key figure in this preservation of ajrakh is the late khatri mohammed siddique, who realised the new emerging markets for handcrafted textiles in the 1970s. Fascinating stories about indias block prints you see them all around you those complex geometric motifs in red and blue, the floral vines, the mughal jali, the deep, earthy colors and the symmetry of patterns on fabric.
Mieko mintz ajrakh print long circular jacket in brownblue. Their craft speaks of skill and years of experience, as the craftsmen swiftly pattern the clothes. Pdf the paper discusses about the hand block printing process being practised in various parts of india on textiles. Ajrakh is a doublesided, blockprinted textile worn as caste dress by cattle herders in the. These shawls display special designs and patterns made using block printing by stamps. A view of a printed ajrakh fabric, kutch, gujarat, 2016. Women use it as a dupatta, a chaddar or as a shawl. There is a tantalizing similarity between the trefoil garment pattern found on a figurine recovered at mohenjo daro and a cloud pattern still used by block print artists working in western india today. Considered to be one of the oldest forms of printing having its basis in the indus valley civilization, the fine craft of ajrakh continues to create its magic in the rustic villages of kutch, gujarat. Mar 23, 2017 author nina sabnani at a book launch for a for ajrakh nina sabnani, an animator and filmmaker, a critically acclaimed author and currently a professor at the industrial design centre, iit mumbai regales us with fascinating stories and anecdotes about indias hand blockprinting techniques in her new book, a for ajrakh. Ajrak is a modern mode and discovery in block printing and has attained a pedestal of being an esteemed representation of the culture and heritage of the sindh civilization.
As a method of printing on cloth, the earliest surviving examples from china date to before 220 textile printing was known in europe, via the islamic world, from. Block printing is known to have been used in india since at least the 12th century, although this method is thought to be around 2,000 years old. The popular story amongst local printers is that ajrakh means keep it today. The preservation requires a detailed documentation of the craft, its history, process, motifs. It was given as a gift for the muslim festival of eid, for bridegrooms, and for other special occasions. Ajrakh is a doublesided, blockprinted textile worn as caste dress by cattle herders in the desert regions of kachchh and thar in northwest india and sindh in pakistan, where it. The day i visited ajrakh studio and the workshop, he was away.
Dabu printingthe lush earth, in an embrace with fabric, sprouts beautiful patterns. And the earthhad its playful ways, in slowly letting out this secret, to the rangrez. But look closely at the priestkings bust and you will see that the circular designs and trefoils, originally sporting a red pigment on a blue or green background on the shawl, is uncannily similar to the double sided block printing or ajrakh or ajrak work. The resist and some colours are printed on the cloth using carved wooden blocks. Ajrakh printing is one of the famous traditional special skills of kutch. The printers belong to a muslim community called khatri. Dhamadka village in gujarat is known for a block printed fabric called ajrakh. Ajrakh printing an art beyond fashion little letters linked. Sindhu or river indus emerges from the himalayas, and flows through the punjab into sindh, dividing it lengthwise, as it flows towards the delta into the arabian sea. One day an artisan who had been working on a technique for many days took this to the king.
The village is a self sufficient system for dabu printing. He revitalised the traditional use of natural dyes when realising their appeal amongst western markets, and passed the knowledge onto his three sons ismail, razzaq and jabba. It also means beautifying and in arabia, ajrakh denotes the blue color which is an essential of the craft. A small village, 30 km far from jaipur on the road linking to ajmer, involved in block printing custom since 100 years comprehending thenatural dye. Etsy is the home to thousands of handmade, vintage, and oneofakind products and gifts related to your search. Woodblock printing is a technique for printing text, images or patterns used widely throughout east asia and probably originating in china in antiquity as a method of printing on textiles and later paper. The fabrics are sourced from kishangarh and pigments come from udaipur. Ajrak printing is a distinguished form of woodblock printing that originated in the presentday province of sindh, pakistan and neighbouring indian districts of kutch in gujarat and barmer in rajasthan. The man behind the revival of the art of ajrakh is master craftsman, dr ismail mohmed khatri. It hence promotes the cultivation and yielding of cotton trees for making clothes and in particular shawls. Ajrakh is printed as single sided ekpuri and double sided bipuri. Ajrakh is a traditional style of block printing which uses handcarved wooden blocks to print natural dyes on organic cotton.
Bagru is evidenced with the population of 1, 28,498 involving. The process of ajrakh block printing according to ismail. Ajrakh is a popular block printing method on textiles that originated in the presentday provinces of sindh in pakistan and the neighbouring indian districts of kutch in gujarat and barmer in rajasthan. Block carvers sculpt the blocks, the earth lends mud and the river bestows water. Bagh print has its roots in sindh, which is now a part of pakistan. The dabu printing fabrics have their own charm and extraordinary beauty which is appreciated around the world. There are variations on the basic theme teli ajrak which make a number of different types of ajrak including ajrak, do sabuni rangi ajrak and kori ajrak.
Ajrakh denotes the slow, painstaking process in which the artisan proceeds stepwise. Fabric patterns flower patterns print patterns ajrakh prints fabric print design mandala print print wallpaper textile prints printing on fabric shop from an exclusive collection of ajrakh sarees, a traditional block printing technique that is bound to leave an imprint in your life. Read article about bagru block printing at bagru, a traditional printing technique of jaipur, rajasthan. The wooden prints involve the technique of carving the print or design on the wooden block first, and then enriching the. Rajasthan ajrakprinting about ageless ajrak printing. Ajrakh printed cotton is traditionally worn by the pastoral maldhari community. Mud resist printing is a special variation, the origins of which can be traced to about 675 a. Today the ajrak traditions are maintained in kutch, and in khavda, dhamadka and barmer in rajasthan.
On a certain day the ruler, impressed by the colour and print of the sheet told his servant. The recorded history of block printed fabrics dates back to the indus valley civilisation, around 3500 to 0 bc. Ajrakh block print, ajrakh block prints natural dyes. The art is called ajrakh and the village derives its name from that. A popular legend has it that a certain ruler insisted that his bedspreads be changed almost daily.
The artisans were exhausted making new sheets everyday. These blocks are carved with intricate symmetrical patterns so that. The art of bagh printing then moved eastwards to marwar rajasthan and later to manavar madhya pradesh with the migration of the craftsmen. Since the fabric is dyed using natural, vegetable dyes, it may rub dry or bleed colour. Khatri community and development of handicraft industries. It had lung onto his dhoti a day back at the riverside. Ajrakh prints in natural vegetable dyes manufacturer. Apart from pagdis and lungis the women wear printed. The authentic ajrak is printed on both sides by a method known as resist printing. The raw fabric in full length is pulled exhaustively through the river many times, scoured, beaten, steamed, mordanted, printed with resist mud pastes from the banks of the river. Men use it as a turban, a cummerbund and also wind it around their shoulders. This is due to increase in fashion, use of synthetic dyes and production of screens for this block printed textile. Since the fabric is dyed using natural, vegetable dyes, it may rub dry or bleed colour on coming in contact with water for the first time.
Sindh was traditionally a large producer of indigo and cotton and exported both to the middle east. The titanwala museum in bagru rajasthan, a private initiative, was inaugurated to preserve the art of traditional bagru block printing. Since 2005, the anokhi museum of hand printing in jaipur, india has offered visitors an introduction to the ancient art of indian block printing through their collection of historical and contemporary textiles. There is a story about a king who loved to change his bedsheets everyday. The wooden prints of bagru have entitled its own name as bagru prints. These blocks are carved with intricate symmetrical patterns. The traditional process of hand block printing on textiles, with rich natural colors, has been practiced in rajasthan for around 500 years. We works exclusively with ajrakh block print with natural dyes and makes yardage for garments, fabrics dupattas, sarees,we strive to take this process to the masses and help the artisans gain out of it. Ajrakh printing, using natural dyes is one of the oldest techniques of resist printing in india and is one of the most complex and sophisticated methods of printing. The traditional block printing running in parallel lines technique of ajrakh has attained. While we assist in procurement of raw materials, maintaining high standards of quality, and product finishing, designs remain the realm of the craftperson.
The story of the age old ajrakh live history india. Dsource stages of dyeing and printing ajrakh process d. When the british annexed the province of sindh in 1843, indigo was one. About bagru block printing it is a traditional technique of printing with natural colour done by the chippa community in bagru village of rajasthan. The history of ajrakh can be traced to the ancient civilizations of the indus. Ajrakh, which has reached the threshold of extinction of its pure form. Ajrak is a unique form of blockprinted shawls and tiles found in sindh, pakistan. May 15, 2019 tracing the history of block prints the oldest record of indian block print cotton fragments were excavated at various sites in egypt, at fustat near cairo, says anuradha kumra, chief of products apparels, fabindia.
Dabu printing story of indian crafts and craftsmen. Indigo and madder are the primary colours that are used for dyeing. You can print on fabric to design your own fabric using this age old type of printing on textiles. The millennia old tradition of weaving and dyeing textiles originated in this indus valley region in the north west of india, and is still in abundance today. Sindh was traditionally a large producer of indigo and cotton and exported both to. Sep 15, 20 the village is a self sufficient system for dabu printing. Going back in history to 2500 bce, the period of the indus valley civilization, indigo, indigoferra tinctoria grew abundantly on the banks of indus.
Dabu print is a type of printing on cloth fabric printing using mud. Indian artisans borrowed a technique from china, one theory states, and turned it into a culturally distinct art form. Ajrakh printing is one of the popular traditional crafts of kutch. This is due to the fact that craftsmen in th ese area s descend from. Ajrak printing, however, historically evolved in parallel as an intricate genre of block printing. The patterning for the blue fragment was created by block printing a resist to the areas designated to remain undyed fig. Ajrakh is a brilliant handloom style that speaks of piercing indigo skies and deep blue darkness, and is practised in kutch, gujarat. The ajrakh block printing of kachchh, india against the dull canvas of the kachchh desert the rich and bold colours of the textiles are strikingly displayed. History of ajrakh story of indian crafts and craftsmen. Colorful ajrak pattern block printing fabric, pattern. It also means making beautiful and in arabia, ajrakh indicates the blue colour which is an important technique.
Pdf a brief studies on block printing process in india. The objectives were to document the craft of ajrakh printing in detail and record the changes that have come about. Block print fabric process is a traditional blockprinting community located at bagru. The king liked it so much that the next day when they were changing the sheets he told his housekeeper to let. Ajrakh traditional print cotton fabric the indian ethnic co. Ajrakh is a timehonored emblem for the local communities of kachchh. Ajrakh means blue in arabic, and its geometric patterns adorn cloth like starry galaxies in indigo, madder, black and. It is also linked to azrakh, the arabic word for indigo, a blue plant which thrived in the arid ecology of kachchh until the 1956 earthquake. History of block printing in india exploring indian. But i did get a chance to talk to his son, sufiyan khatri and heard some interesting stories.
It hence promotes the cultivation and yielding of cotton trees for. The strong economic reason is it gives employment and regular income to the khatris. Bagru block printing at bagru, a traditional printing. We incorporate a large amount of their textiles in our bedding and clothing lines. Over the years it traveled to india, with the state of rajasthan becoming the most prolific producer of hand block printed fabrics. The other villages known for ajrakh printing are khavda, bhuj and ajrakhpura.
Manoj hand print is barmer rajasthan based manufacturer and exporter of ajrakh prints in natural dyes and making cushion cover, sarees, scarves, table clothes, dress material, bed sheets, pillow cover, lungies, sarongs, bags etc. Like batik, there is another style of printing whose name represents its resplendent history. Nomadic pastoralist and agricultural communities like the rabaris, maldharis, and ahirs wear ajrakh printed cloth as turbans, lungis, or stoles. The image of the priestking of mohenjodaro with a shawl wrapped around him is as iconic as the dancing girl also found there. Maiwa actively seeks to support ajrakh artisans who live and work in the kutch desert. Dabu printing is an ancient hand block printing technique which derives from the land of rajasthan. In gujarat, the wellknown centres are dhamadka, kutch, bhavnagar, vasna, rajkot, jamnagar, jetpur and porbandar. Kutch is famous across the world not only for its vibrant tribes and communities but also for its embroidery done by native women.
The designs mostly immersed in indigo indigo blue and madder crimson red are dappled with a fusion of sky elements and nature. Dsource stages of dyeing and printing ajrakh process. May 20, 2017 whatever be it, the art of ajrakh has to go on. This printing is purely labor intensive and involves several steps and stages of printing and dyeing. The technique of resist printing allows exclusive absorption of a dye in the desired areas only and prevents absorption on the areas intended to be left uncolored. Ajrak has existed in sindh since the mohenjodaro civilization, or even before that. No matter what youre looking for or where you are in the world, our global marketplace of sellers can help you find unique and affordable options. Ajrakh, traditionally a double sided resist block printed cotton textile has undergone a.
I have also tried to capture the techniques and patterns of ajrakh textile traditions on khadi along with documenting womens wear in classic styles belonging to 21st century in. Fabric design dabu block printing technique youtube. Unearth the history of ajrak printing strand of silk. Ajrakh ajrakh meaning blue in arabic as traditionally, blue is one of the principal colors in ajrakh printing. Ghanshyam ji doing a printing demonstration at mehera shaw. Sarees ajrakh prints in natural vegetable dyes manufacturer. Ajrakhpur is where kutchi artisans and craftsmen who do blockprinting live and work. Ajrakh printing thrived in india in the 16th century with the migration of khatris from the sindh province to kutch district. Ajrakh prints in natural vegetable dyes manufacturer exporter.
Traditional ajrakh involves various stages of dyeing and resist printing using natural dyes and mordants. The ajrakh block printing of kachchh, india travels in textiles. The creation of vibrant, colourfast, cotton printing may date back as far as four millennia. Ajrakh designs, in terms of variety and arrangments, are limited. Ajrakh printing click here for artisans ajrak is a name given to a unique form of blockprinted shawls and tiles found in sindh, pakistan. Pdf textile traditions in india date back to the indus valley civilization. The word ajrakh means keep it to day and perhaps served as resources of advertising. Ajrakh printing in sindh, kutch and barmer, are almost similar in terms of prod uction technique, motifs and use of colours.