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Wayward Exploring People and Places
The Block Printers of Ahmedabad
PLUS!
Voyage to The God’s Gate 40 Taming of The Giants 55
Fighting against the odds to preserve the centuries old craftform.
APRIL 2018 / ISSUE 4
Wayward APRIL 2018 / ISSUE 4
FEATURES
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The block printers of Ahmedabad
Voyage to the God’s gate
Some prints are so intricate, that they seem like they are hand drawn with a fine brush, but are actually colour impressions of pieces of wood
Haridwar, literally means Gateway to God, is one of the Hindu holy places in India and a center of Hindu religion and mysticism for centuries.
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Taming of the giants Most experts agree that to be domesticated, animals must have been selectively bred by humans for at least 12 generations, with offspring from each generation.
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EDITOR’S NOTE
The current magazine issue delves into the story of block printers of Ahmedabad. This makes me imagine of the times when thousands of skilled artisans engraved intricate patterns on the wooden blocks to enhance fabric into the most fantastical of colors and shapes in design. In the present day India these small scale cottage industries are dying as they have lost both the support system and the clientele. The story, ‘Taming of the Giants’ is the personal favorite, it was a terrific experience to photograph these mammoth creatures and get to know about them. ‘The voyage to the God’s gate’ felt like a dip into spirituality, seeing Ganga in its purest form is what I would cherish forever.
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Block Printers of Ahmedabad
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THE STORY
“The story goes as back as the times in history when my father would walk me to the river side, where lengths of colorful patterns waved up and down, with the gushing flow of Sabarmati. Things changed however, open banks were replaced by concrete blocks, flowing river by inert marshes, printing floors by long tables confined within four walls of the factories, washing got restricted to the water tanks, chemicals replaced natural colorants, and now, wooden blocks are fighting against much faster screen printing…” Master craftsman Faruk F. Chhipare calls the days when he used to learn from his father Fakruddin Chhipa, who started ablock-printing unit in Ahmedabad, in 1964, under the name of ‘Fakira prints’. Employing around seventy skilled block printers, the unit can easily claim to be one of the biggest amongst 8-10 units in the city.
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THE PROCESS
BLOCK MAKING
1. The process starts with creating wooden blocks from the logs of teak wood, teak is chosen for its strength, ease of availability and its waterproof nature.
2. Pattern design is hand illustrated before it is transferred on to tracing paper.
3. The design is then engraved on the wooden block with a hand drill and a range of chisels, this procedure requires painstaking precision.
4. The blocks to complete in every aspect take anywhere from a single day to one week to complete and the size ranges from few centimeters to several inches.
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The process of making the block starts with drawing on paper with pen.
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ike the pattern of raindrops on the window, like the beat of gentle drums, a rhythmic, repetitive pattern spreading across fabric like a web of motifs‌ Such is the marvel of a fabric, hand printed by a block that creates identical patterns, seamlessly merging into each other so gently, one cannot follow where the pattern begins and where it ends. Block printers all over India make gorgeous textiles in many colours and designs, using a variety of techniques and materials. Some prints are so intricate, that they seem like they are hand drawn with a fine brush, but are actually colour impressions of
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Like the patter of raindrops on the window, like the beat of gentle drums, a rhythmic, repetitive pattern spreading across fabric like a web of motifs
pieces of wood, deftly carved by expert craftsmen. Pethapur village in Gandhinagar, Gujarat, is a hub of wood block makers, who supply customized blocks to the centres of block printing. Wooden block making has been a popular profession among the inhabitants of Pethapur for about 300 years.
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The craftsmen use only teak wood (locally known as Sagwan) sourced from Valsad (near Gujarat-Maharashtra border). Teak is the perfect base for carving as it is strong and doesn’t absorb water or distort in shape or size. The craftsmen cut pieces according to the required block size, careful to cut away from any knots in the wood.
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The wood is painted white and then the design traced on to it, to increase contrast and visibility. The craftsmen use a hand drill arrangement that involves a bow (Kamthi) and a driller (Saarardi) to drill out larger portions from the block; and for the finer shapes, they use a variety of chisels in different shapes and sizes. They make their tools themselves according to their requirement.
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Comparison: The initial and the final stage
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hese expert craftsmen can carve blocks with lines almost a millimeter thin and so close together, that it is a wonder how even one chisel stroke, that could leave the design spoiled and useless, does not go wrong. They make blocks for printing designs in one to four colours, sometimes more, but the craftsmanship is so precise that the fields and outlines of the motifs match flawlessly. Wooden blocks range from as small as 1� to 16� in size and while a basic block, 3 to 4 inches across takes a day or two to make, an intricate one can take almost a week’s work.
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These expert craftsmen can carve blocks with lines almost a millimeter thin and so close together, that it is a wonder how even one chisel stroke, that could leave the design spoiled and useless.
Printers of different areas use different motifs or techniques and these block makers are experts in making all kinds of blocks. While Ajrakh prints have geometrical and star patterned motifs, the Sanganeri prints of Rajasthan have simple abstract or floral ones. The Bagh prints of Madhya Pradesh also have abstract florals, although more intricate than the ones in Rajasthan.
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The wood is carved with a hand drill and a range of chisels, a procedure that requires painstaking precision. Blocks range in size from a few centimeters to several inches and could take anywhere from a single day to one week to complete.
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Even more intricate were the Saudagari prints, from which the block making art is believed to have started in Pethapur. It is difficult for a person to even hand draw those, let alone carve, but these experienced craftsmen are able to make perfect blocks for the prints, although the Saudagari prints are not done anymore.
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A craft as old as printed textile, which can be traced back to the Indus Valley Civilization, has few patrons left now. Although hand block printing still flourishes, ironically, block carvers have decreased in number and continue to do so, with younger generations moving on to more profitable careers. From almost 500 craftsmen who used to work in Pethapur some decades back, today only a handful are left, trying to preserve this craft, as well as their livelihoods.
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From almost 500 craftsmen who used to work in Pethapur some decades back, today only a handful are left, trying to preserve this craft, as well as their livelihoods.
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THE PROCESS
BLOCK PRINTING
1. Grey fabric (off-white, starched) is bleached to get the white uniform coloured sheets.
2. The sheets are then given color of choice using dyes, which are chosen from meticulously prepared colour catalogue.
3. The coloured sheets are then dried in sun using bamboo structures.
4. Complex patterns are stamped on the fabric using natural dye, often the printing is done with 3-4 blocks, to achieve the final results.
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The bleached fabric is then dyed using desired colors.
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o begin the process, grey fabric (off-white, starched) is bleached to get the white, which is then given any color of choice using chemical dye. Printing on top with chemical colors is a tricky process, as it takes time for the colorants to react with the air, to give the actual color of the patterns. Complex patterns may need printing with 3-4 blocks, to achieve the final results. The fabric is then washed and sun dried. The chosen fabric for block printing is first washed to remove all the starch. It also undergoes soft bleaching to minimize the appearance of the natural grey. Fabrics such as saree lengths usually require dyeing. This is done
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The chosen fabric for block printing is first washed to remove all the starch. It also undergoes soft bleaching to minimize the appearance of the natural grey.
before the printing process begins. For hand block printing, the craftsman will lay the fabric on a printing table, stretching it across the entire length and fix it with tiny pins. This is an important stage as there should be a uniform tension in the fabric and no ripples. Color is mixed separately in another room. Usually pigment dyes are used for cotton.
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Archive of color pallete is created experimenting with the natural color sources, collected in the form of a bits of colored fabric.
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combination of naturally found materials are used to create a few different basic colors, which can then be mixed together to make several different colors. For example, pomegranate is boiled with water to create a mustard yellow color. Black dye is made with pieces of metal scraps and sugar that are placed in a mud jar 6� below the earth. The lid must be kept tightly closed for 21 days for the black color to develop. And brown is made when red and black are mixed together. 029
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The dyed fabric is then transported to printing facility, where the design motifs are imprinted on the fabric using wooden blocks.
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lock printing has a special technique that needs to be followed in order to get the desired results. Printing always begins from left to right. A plank of wood is used for evening out the colour on the tray. The craftsman dips the block into a dark outline colour and applies it to the fabric. A strong slamming action using the fist on the handle’s back helps achieve a beautiful impression. This is done repeatedly along the length and breadth of the fabric.
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Printing always begins from left to right. A plank of wood is used for evening out the colour on the tray. The craftsman dips the block into a dark outline colour and applies it to the fabric.
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Voyage to The God’s Gate
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THE STORY
This is a throwback account of our trip to Haridwar in summer of 2017. The plains in nothern India during the months May and June become unbearably hot, with temprature rising above 48 0C. Beside seeking for refuge at cooler place, I also had a desire to see Ganga in it’s purest form.
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Rafting is the most seekable water sports in Haridwar, people are seen carrying their rafts down to the river to experience the swift flow of Ganga’s water.
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ropitiously located at the point where the Ganges emerges from the Himalaya, Haridwar (also called Hardwar) is Uttarakhand’s holiest Hindu city, and pilgrims arrive here in droves to bathe in the fast-flowing Ganges. The sheer number of people gathering around Har-ki-Pairi Ghat give Haridwar a chaotic but reverent feel. Within the religious hierarchy of India, Haridwar is much more significant than Rishikesh, an hour further north, and every evening the river comes alive with flickering flames as floating offerings are released onto the Ganges. It’s especially busy during the yatra (pilgrimage) season
Propitiously located at the point where the Ganges emerges from the Himalaya, Haridwar (also called Hardwar) is Uttarakhand’s holiest Hindu city.
from May to October, in particular during July, when hundreds of thousands of Shiva devotees, known as Kanwarias, descend upon the city.
Pilgrims arrive from all over the country to take dip into holy water of Ganga.
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A paradise for nature lovers, Haridwar presents kaleidoscope of Indian culture and civilization. Haridwar also termed as ‘Gateway to Gods’ is known as Mayapuri, Kapila, Gangadwar as well.
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Haridwar is one of the primary areas where river Ganges emerges from the mountains and enters to the plain areas. Lush green forests and crystal clear water of river Ganges and background of mountains create the charming beauty of this holy city.
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Taming of the Giants
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THE STORY
Today, there are approximately 15,000 elephants in captivity, mainly in Myanmar, India and Thailand. Myanmar has approximately 5,000 captive elephants, most of them involved in logging. In India, there are approximately 3,500 elephants in a variety of uses, such as festivals and temples. Thailand’s approximately 2,300 captive elephants are mainly employed in tourism, where they are ridden, forced to paint, perform antics and entertain tourists. This story is about tamed elephants and their relationship with humans.
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There are three extant species of elephant-the Asian, the African Forest and the largest of all the terrestrial mammals, the African Bush. Because people from places like India and Thailand put major emphasis of elephant imagery in their cultures, only the Asiatic had been habituated to serve humans.
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The process of making the block starts with drawing on paper with pen.
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he elephant’s incredible capacity for knowledge, understanding, learning and insight, they have proved to be most useful to human beings. It has been supposed that India was the first place in which elephants started to become trained for domestic purposes. However, it is well understood that, while they may give in to training, an elephant is never truly tame. A male elephant is musth is particularly aggressive and difficult to control. For this reason, most elephants that were being trained for domestic use were female. The one exception is that of war; females will run from males, so only males could be used in this environment. When dealing with creatures that possess as high a level of understanding and insight, elephants have proved to be most industrious and helpful to mankind. It is imperative that, in recognising their value and potential, we take the utmost care to protect this most precious resource. 060
However, it is well understood that, while they may give in to training, an elephant is never truly tame. A male elephant is particularly aggressive and difficult to control. For this reason, most elephants that were being trained for domestic use were female.
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aving grown up in India elephants were never exotic beings but an inextricable part of our folklore, religion and daily lives. I have seen them as gilded portals of divinity in temples, as practical tricksters in circuses, as indefatigable powerhouses in construction projects and as the sagacious elders in zoos; sometimes even in the wild. Despite our familiarity with these pachyderms for centuries, even today most people are not aware that elephants are not a domesticated species.
I have seen them as gilded portals of divinity in temples, as practical tricksters in circuses, as indefatigable powerhouses in construction projects and as the sagacious elders in zoos; sometimes even in the wild. Despite our familiarity with these pachyderms for centuries, even today most people are not aware that elephants are not a domesticated species. 062
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omestication involves the adaptation of a species to humans and its captive environment through genetic changes that occur over generations. A domesticated species is bred in captivity and is different from its wild ancestors so that it is more useful to humans, who control its reproduction, behaviour and food supply. 066
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he art of taming and training elephants goes back nearly 4,000 years and seems to have developed originally in Asia, from where it is believed to have spread to Africa and Europe. At first, their use was mostly practical — as tanks in wartime, as timber forklifts in peacetime; but they soon became symbols of religious and social prestige. The art of capturing and taming an elephant slowly became a profession in itself, whose secrets were passed down the generations, accompanied by myths, legends and folklore that persist till today. The westward course of elephants began with the first contacts between Alexander and the Indians (during Porus’s defeat) and
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The art of capturing and taming an elephant slowly became a profession in itself, whose secrets were passed down the generations, accompanied by myths, legends and folklore that persist till today.
continued after his death in 323 BC. The Carthaginians are known to have been the first to capture and train African elephants (277 BC) when Hannibal used them in his Roman campaigns. After Caesar’s time, though, the use of the African war elephant died out and with the decline of the Roman Empire, the art of taming the wild African elephant was lost as well. The interest in elephants and their taming was however renewed with the colonisation of Africa and Asia by the Europeans in the 17th century. The exploitation of the African elephant for its ivory and the Indian elephant for its work capabilities meant that the creatures were studied extensively for many years.
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Today, elephants continue to fascinate the people by their sheer majesty and antics and, yet, the training that they have to undergo to perform these feats gracefully, the physical pain and mental agony they are put through, are heartbreaking when revealed.
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n his historical account of elephant capture and taming in India – ‘Elephant Gold’ – P.D. Stracey lists five methods of capturing elephants as laid down by ancient Indian Sanskrit texts in the following order of desirability: in pens or stockades; by the use of female decoys; by mela shikar or the noosing of elephants from the back of trained elephants; by nooses concealed in the ground; and by the pit method. These various methods were developed and became established in different topographical regions of India. For example: in the north, there is no record of capturing elephants in pits while in the south, the stockade method remained unknown until the British (G.P. Sanderson) introduced it to the Mysore plateau in 1873-74. The most ancient and widely known method of capturing elephants is that of the stockade or the khedda (the word is derived from the Hindi khedna which in turn comes from the Sanskrit khet, meaning ‘to drive’). In the original Aryan stockade method, a large space was enclosed by a deep circular trench and the only entrance to the enclosure was a wooden bridge concealed underneath a deep layer of earth, turf and leaves. Female decoy elephants were driven into the enclosure as a trap for the wild herds that would sooner or later enter the trap. At the appropriate moment, the bridge would be demolished and the trap would be complete. The captives would be kept without food and water to weaken them, after which tame elephants would be introduced through a new bridge. A furious battle would rage between the tame and the wild elephants at the end of which the latter would be subdued, noosed in their necks and legs, and tied together.
The captives would be kept without food and water to weaken them, after which tame elephants would be introduced through a new bridge. 070
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he pit method, which was practiced in the south, deep (usually tapering) pits are dug in areas frequented by elephants. Although a thick layer of brushwood and grass bundles is laid into the pit to cushion the fall of the animals, this is usually not sufficient to prevent injuries during capture. The mouth of the pit is covered with split bamboos and camouflaged with grass and mud. When the unsuspecting animal falls in, the pit is prepared for noosing of the captive by placing two or three logs across the top. A white cloth is dangled over the elephant and when the elephant reaches up, a noose is dropped over the creature’s head. The hind legs are then noosed. When everything is ready, the neck and leg ropes are fastened to one or more tamed elephants and the captive is made to scramble out. The most skilful method of capturing wild elephants is called ‘mela shikar’ and involves the chasing and noosing of a wild elephant by a phandi while riding on the backs of trained
elephants. This involves a vast repertoire of skills in tracking an elephant, riding and chasing on an elephant, and finally noosing a wild elephant with a ‘phand’– all of which requires a long apprenticeship with an experienced phandi. Other known methods of elephant capture use nooses hidden in the ground, noosing to trap a wild elephant in chase, female decoys to attract males, lassoing, harpooning animals stranded in a flooded river and chasing elephants into enclosures. These methods have evolved in different regions of Asia (especially Burma, Siam, India and Indo-China) over centuries and continue to be practiced with minor modifications. The advancements in technologies such as tranquilisers, guns, trackers etc. over the years have further made things easier for us. The only deterrent to elephant capture so far has been the wildlife protection laws that have been introduced in some countries even though their implementation remains dodgy.
The most skilful method of capturing wild elephants is called ‘mela shikar’ and involves the chasing and noosing of a wild elephant by a phandi while riding on the backs of trained elephants. This involves a vast repertoire of skills in tracking an elephant, riding and chasing on an elephant. 072
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he disturbing and debauched twist, in all these endeavours, previously tamed and trained elephants are employed either as decoys or as koonkis (or khungkies) to restrain, control and tame the captive elephant. The main duty of the koonki is to press and confine the wild elephants between them. Several koonkis work on an elephant and squeeze it between them so that the men on the ground can work in relative safety. In fact, a good number of the captive elephants get weak at this stage and may collapse from exhaustion and heat. Some of the rogue elephants that are not subjugated are shot. In the end, a much smaller percentage of the ‘truly broken’ captive animals are tamed and trained for their ultimate purpose.
Several koonkis work on an elephant and squeeze it between them so that the men on the ground can work in relative safety. In fact, a good number of the captive elephants get weak at this stage and may collapse from exhaustion and heat. Some of the rogue elephants that are not subjugated are shot. In the end, a much smaller percentage of the ‘truly broken’ captive animals are tamed and trained for their 074
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hese surviving animals are wounded, bitten, hungry and isolated. The captive elephants are then marched to a kraal, or a training enclosure, where they are truly broken – in mind, body and spirit. The kraal is a tiny, roofed enclosure of teak beams, measuring some 12 square feet. When the captive is introduced, the crossbars are replaced and firmly wedged in place. Early in the training process, the elephants are marched every morning and evening to the river to the accompaniment of traditional training commands. They are made to perform simple instructions such as stopping, going backwards, and turning around. The words of command are sung to the elephant, accompanied at first by severe thwacks with sticks and jabs with iron-tipped poles, attendant elephants assisting and performing the same gyrations. The elephant has a set of body ropes to which a rider clings as one attendant walks along in front with a long, sharp, wooden spear while another tails the back. The training is terminated by a bath and drink in the river. Strict discipline, captivity, pokes and jabs, teach the already wounded and starving animal to obey commands and over weeks this battering renders a wild animal docile. In this training phase, the mahout gains the trust of the captive animal by kinder treatment and continuous attention – thus beginning their journey from the wild and into our homes, circuses and temples.
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References http://haridwar.nic.in/# http://www.haridwarrishikeshtourism.com/ haridwar.html http://gaatha.com/block-carving-pethapur/ http://gaatha.com/bagh-block-printing/ http://factsanddetails.com/asian/cat68/ sub431/item2469.html https://www.elephantsforever.co.za/ elephant-domestication.html https://thewire.in/culture/journey-from-thewild-how-to-break-an-elephant
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