THE AJRAKH BLOCK PRINTING OF KACHCHH, INDIA
shainashealy (2012b) Ajrak in Kutch, Gujarat. Available at: http://theglobalskin.org/blog/ajrak-in-kutch-gujarat/. In-text citations: (shainashealy, 2012b)
THE AJRAKH BLOCK PRINTING OF KACHCHH, INDIA By- Drishti Negi &Sanjana Gupta
“when you see another man wearing ajrakh you share your food first, then ask his name”
3
Kuldip Gadhvi (2013) ‘Ajrakh’ glimpse of traditional block printing from Ajrakhpur Kutch Gujarat. Available at: https:// www.youtube.com/watch?v=ozpmcXfgZVE (Accessed: 22 November 2016). In-text citations: (Kuldip Gadhvi, 2013)
CONTENTS 1. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT 2. OUR EXPERIENCE 3. GUJARAT AT A GLANCE 4. AJRAKHPUR 5. ORIGIN 6. ABOUT THE CRAFTSMEN 7. RAW MATERIAL 8. TOOLS OF THE TRADE 9. MOTIFS 10. THE PROCESS 11.PRODUCT RANGE 12.MARKET EXISTING SCENARIOS 13.BIBLIOGRAPHY
5
Admin (2016) Ajrakh printing. Available at: http://blog.juliehall.net/archives/3309. In-text citations: (admin, 2016)
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT This amazing journey of knowing such a wonderful craft “ajrakh” would have been impossible without the contribution of some people. So I would take this opportunity to thank, •Mr. Junaid, Mr. Paresh Mangaliya, programme manager (design) of khamir, an organization that works for the preservation and promotion of the crafts of the kutch region, for giving us immense knowledge about various crafts and craftsmen. •Haji ismail khatri, son of Dr. Ismail Khatri for giving us information about the ajrakh as a craft and its current scenario. •Mr. Salman Junas Arora for letting us visit his workshop and learn about the process of ajrakh block printing.
7
OUR EXPERIENCE The first word that comes to our mind when we recall thisW experience is “distinct”. The things that we experienced there was diverse than the things we normally experience when we visit any place. Whether it was discovering a new craft or meeting new people and visiting a new place , each and every moment was a story in itself that we would cherish in our heart forever. We saw the world from a different perspective, a perspective from which we have never seen it before, that’s why it was not an ordinary experience for us. So in order to study the craft of ajrakh block printing, we visited a place called Ajrakhpur. It was a village situated a few kilometres away from the city of Kutch. There we met the craftsmen and visited their workshops. The special thing about Gujarat , what we felt was that people were warm hearted and very welcoming. The way they welcomed us and gave us their precious time while expecting nothing in return is the most amazing thing that we felt there. The culture and traditions of the place was very interesting and it was very evident in the way their lifestyle. The patterns and the colors used depict a different dimension of their life. An incident that touched our heart is as follows- the three of us went to the Ajrakhur to do for our research, when we reached there we had no idea where to go, who we should ask for help, but we realized that through khamir we got a number of an craftsmen, his name was Mr. Salman Junas Arora. We called him up to ask the directions but at first he didn’t pick up and we were again lost in that tiny village but after few minutes he called us back and we told them that we have come to do some research on ajrakh printing, despite the fact he was busy with something he left everything he came to meet us. Once we reached his place he was so welcoming. To know about the craft we had to go to his workshop which was far away, so he offered hi scooty to us, but we there was three of us so we couldn’t fit in, so he went to get us another scooty for us, when he got it we were astonished by the fact that he actually got us another scooty so that we could go easily. When we reached there they explained us each and every process and answered every question of ours. We were very thankful to them for giving us their time and knowledge. So after the tour of the workshop and exploring various fields where colorful ajrakh cloth was sun dried, we went to a retail shop that Mr. Salman suggested us, the shop was owned by Musa Tarmohmad Khatri also known as “musa bhai”. There they had a whole variety of cloth from tie and dye to ajrakh to batik to block printing to chanderi to bandhani and so many more. He had a variety of sarees, dupatta, shawl etc. There were clothes that we couldn’t resist so we bought a whole lot of them to which he gave us a good discount also. We came another time along with our friends to buy some more of the cloth, inspite of having a very good bussiness and having a clientele like fab india Mr. khatri was very humble. He took special care of each and every customer. His affability won our hearts. We departed with his blessings. We continued our journey back to the hotel in a local bus. We also visited a pottery craftsman later. We never thought we would have such an amazing and diverse experience here and we are glad that we had an opportunity to come across a different dimension of the world through this trip.
9
GUJARAT
HISTORY (2014) Kutch Rann Utsav 2015 | white Rann of Kutchh. Available at: http://historicaltimeofindia. blogspot.com/2015/08/kutch-rann-utsav-2015-whiterann-of.html. In-text citations: (HISTORY, 2014)
11
My Gujarat (2016) Available at: http://www.mygujarat.info/. In-text citations: (My Gujarat, 2016)
GUJARAT- LAND OF LEGENDS
Aavo Padharo, words of welcome in the language of Gujarat because it is here that these words ring truly and the guest is ‘God’ and the people of Gujarat are gregariously friendly, inviting and will entice you to come again and again. The Land of the Legends, stands bordered by Pakistan and Rajasthan in the north east, Madhya Pradesh in the east, and Maharashtra and the Union territories of Diu, Daman, Dadra and Nagar Haveli in the south. The Arabian Sea borders the state both to the west and the south west. The State took it’s name from the Gujjars, who ruled the area during the 700’s and 800’s.
In Gujarat Crafts is an exclusive talent. Handicrafts of Gujarat, differs in its proportions of its patterns to the element of wonderful exquisite artifacts in various forms. Ancient crafts exist in Gujarat blend with unique traditional intricate work and finer details with artistic and aesthetic appeal. The handicrafts products of skilled craftsmanship are popular all over the world. It mirrors vibrant culture of the State. (No Date) Available at: http://www.gujaratindia. com› All About Gujarat › Art Culture & Lifestyle. In-text citations: ([CSL STYLE ERROR: reference with no printed form.])
13
AJRAKHPUR
Samina-Rahman (2012) Ethnography - Drovana, Kutchh. Available at: http://www.slideshare.net/Samina-Rahman/ ethnography-drovana-kutchh. In-text citations: (Samina-Rahman, 2012
15
Shruthi (2013b) Made in Kachchh —. Available at: https://madeinkachchh.wordpress.com/category/event/page/2/ w In-text citations: (Shruthi, 2013b)
AJRAKH BLOCK PRINTINGAN INTRODUCTION Ajrakh,is a practice of traditional hand block printing and dying done by the use of various dyes and mordants. This practice dates back to almost 4500 years as its remains are still preserved in the Victoria Albert Museum, London, UK. It is believed that this craft exists from the time of cultivation of cotton because of its discovery from the ancient cities of Indus valley. Initially it was done on cotton cloth but nowadays due to the modernization of this craft, it is now done on modal,viscose and silk and many other materials except polyester. This craft is practised in few places like Barmer in Rajasthan, Kutch in Gujarat and Sindh in Pakistan. As this craft is practised by the khatri community so we can see the impact of muslim traditions in the designs as well. The designs follows islamic design principles as the motifs that are used have no human figures instead they are inspired from the local botany and architecture and the night sky. The printing can be done by using either natural or chemical dye, but due to the adverse effects of the chemical dye, natural/vegetable dye is extensively used nowadays. We explored the Ajrakh block printing of Kutch in gujarat. The Ajrakh printers are said to be decendents of king rama”
kshatriya”(hindu term for warrior) became khatri and came to kutch from sindh 400 years ago. Also a kutch rular by the name of Rao Bharmalji encouraged this craft by inviting craftsmen to meet the growing need of people and the royal court. A village called Ajrakhpur (derived it’s name from the practise of ajrakh printing in this area) is totally dedicated to this craft and has almost 30 workshops which specialises in printing with natural/vegetable dyes. The blocks that are used from printing are made out of teakwood and are manufactured from the local villages like pethapur etc. The clientele includes manufacturers from Ahmedabad, Mumbai, Delhi, Hyderabad, Chennai, Bangalore etc and they manufacture internationally also in countries like Canada etc. Initially ajrakh was worn by men as dhoti or lungi and turban but now due to the advancement of this craft various other products are also being made like in garments we have sarees, skirts, kurta, dupatta and stole etc and in home furnishings they manufacture bedsheets, quilts, cushion covers etc. This craft has evolved by the help of various institutions (nid etc),organizations and individuals who has given ajrakh printing a push to become nationally and internationally famous
17
Khatri noblemen wear ajrak printed clothes while sitting on an ajrak printed carpet in Kitab-i tasrih al-aqvam by AngloIndian military adventurer, Col. James Skinner aka Sikandar (b.1778, d.1841)
ORIGIN Sindh is the birthplace of Ajrak,. Ajrak has existed in Sindh since the Mohenjodaro civilization, or even before that. The true origin of the word ‘Ajrak’ is unknown. In Arabic, it means blue or indigo. Sindh was traditionally a large producer of indigo and cotton and exported both to the Middle East. The color blue is also used extensively in Ajrak. It is not known whether the word came from Arabic and was incorporated into Sindhi or vice versa. The geometrical designs in the fabric seem to echo the principles of Sufism (Islamic spiritualism) which was widely followed in Sindh. The geometric patterns which use the concept of symmetry are symbolic of cosmic processes that extend in all directions.
19
Indigo colour
Arabic Gum
Indigo Powder
Tararind Powder
Maddar used for dyeing
(No Date) Available at: http://www.dsource.in/resource/ajrakh-printing.../tools-and-raw-materials. In-text citations: ([CSL STYLE ERROR: reference with no printed form.])
RAW MATERIAL
Wooden Block
Iron waste
Red Colour Solution
Copper Vessel
Plain cotton soaked in water 21
Ajrakh prints in natural vegetable dyes manufacturer exporter Barmer Rajasthan, Ajrakh printing, hand block printing, textile handicrafts, Indian Handicraft, Tradional printing, cushion cover, Sarees, scarves, table clothes, dress material, bed sheets, pi (2010) Available at: http:// www.ajrakhprinting.co.in/other-tools.html. In-text citations: (Ajrakh prints in natural vegetable dyes manufacturer exporter Barmer Rajasthan, Ajrakh printing, hand block printing, textile handicrafts, Indian Handicraft, Tradional printing, cushion cover, Sarees, scarves, table clothes, dress material, bed sheets, pi, 2010)
TOOLS OF THE TRADE
A wooden table is used by the workers to place the fabric for printing. It has around 40-50 layers of fabric on it so that it becomes easy for the main fabric to absorb color when it is printed A wooden jaali is used in a wooden container which has the resist paste in it. It helps the thick layer of fabric to float over the paste so that the block picks up appropriate amount of color. A needle is used to carve blocks. Thickness of the tip of the needle depends on the amount of intricacy required in the design. Hand carved wooden blocks of different pattern used to print the design on fabric. Color trays to hold the color solution. Vessel to boil and dye the fabric. Water tank to wash the fabric.
23
N. (2010) Evolution and influence in Indian block printed designs. Available at: http://travelsintextiles.com/ evolution-and-influence-in-indian-block-printed-designs/. In-text citations: (*, 2010)
MOTIFS In Ajrakh, geometrical and floral patterns are most commonly used. The motifs are inspired from their islamic architecture and culture. The foundation of Islamic art is Mizan, which means balance and order. The popular motifs are 1. Kan kharek 2. Riyal, ginni 3. Mifudi 4. Bodi riyal 5. Tavith 6. Sopari 7. Nani jimardi 8. Moti jimardi 9. Ekko, kuiyaro 10. Hydro 11. Leemai 12. Sitara New motifs have been introduced like zigzag lines , motifs inspired from aquatic life.
25
True ajrakh is the product of complex muliple and sequential processes. in the past this specefi form of textile patterning was one of the most time-consuming, and in our modern hasty times ajrakh production presents an example of true craftmanship where maker and materials from a close unity.
THE PROCESS
1. GREY CLOTH Cotton is loaded with impurities like oils, pectin and wax. some are naturally present, and others are added during the spinning and weaving processes to help lubricate the threads in the loom and prevent breakages. these impurities give the cloth a dull look. As waxes and oils reduce the absorbency of the cotton they must be throrughly removed prior to any dyeing or printing.
27
2. SAAJ The cloth must be cleaned, softened and prepared. The raw cotton fabric is washed in a mixture which is made of camel dung, natural caustic soda, castor oil and water. Depending on the impuritites of the cloth the process is repeated. usually it happens 3-4 times, which leaves the cloth soft and bright.
29
3. WASHING Clean water is used to remove impurities from the cloth. A special paddle called a dhoki, made from the durabke wood of the babul tree is used to remove the oils.It’s completed only when all the traces of impurities are gone.
31
4. KASANO The soft cleaned cloth undergoes a soak in harde, a yellow astringent paste made from dried powedered fruits of the myroballan tree, terminialla chebula.This powder is then mixed with the paste and then mixed with water and used to soak the fibers of the cloth.The cloth is then dried in the sun without rinising. This solution helps in dyeing at the latter stage helping the colour to stick.
33
5. KHARRIYANU A resist of lime and gum arabic is used to the cloth to define the outline of the design. This is known as rekh. If the cloth is to be double sided, this stage is repeated on the reverse side of the cloth.For better outlines the paste should be thick. While using this paste, one should be very careful.This shouldn’t spread where other other colours are required.
35
6. KUT Areas where black is required are now printed with kut paste.This is usually ab=n infill or datla between selected khariyanu outlines. The Kut paste is made by fermenting scrap iron (horse shoes, etc), jaggery (raw cane sugar) and besan (gram flour). This mixture is left to ferment which takes about ten to fifteen days.The resulting liquid should be yellowish scum on the surface of the mixture which indicates that it is ready for use. The liquid, or “iron water� is drained off and added to tamarind seed powder. The iron and tamarind solution is thoroughly mixed, and then boiled for one hour.
When this paste is printed on the harde treated cloth. it develops a deep fast chocolate black colour as the iron particles oxide with the tannic acid. Where kut lines are printed over the previous khariyanu print the lime in the khariyanu resists the iron in the kut, giving further detail to the main outline.
37
7. PA MORDANT The mordant for producing red is applied on the cloth. Alum is suspended in a sticky paste of boiled powder from roasted and ground tamarind seeds. This smooth paste, called pa, is printed with blocks which have been carved so that the printing portion of the raised face is patterned only with the areas of the design called maavi, where red is required. while doing this, one shoukd be careful otherwise the lime will discharge the alum and thus prevent the colour developing.
8. GACH RESIST For the next two stages of the process a smooth fine paste is mixed from tree gum, clay, water and millet flour. Alum is added to half of this paste, and prnted where larger areas of red are required in a design, for example a red background gudg or infil areas called mavi. this gach can be used to over print the previous pas to achieve deeper reds or more complicated colours. The clay and millet act as an resistant preventing indigo from staining the cloth beneath.
39
9. DHORI GACH RESIST The second half of the tree gum, clay, water and millet flour is used as a simple resist.This paste is called dhori gach and does not conain alum.The dhori gach is printed all over previously printed white, black and pa reinted red areas which did not receive an application of the previous gach paste. Saw dust or finely powdered cow dung is sprinkled oer immediately so that two gach pastes they dosen’t smudge.
41
10. INDIGO DIP To obtain blue in the design the cloth is immersed in indigo. Indigo dye can be either natural indigo, from indigofera tinctoria, or a synthesised substitue ‘german’ indigo. Natural indgo is bought in bulk, soaked before fermenting in an undderground vat containing strong alkaline lime powder, dates and carbonate of soda, plus speciality ingredients unique to each particular dyer. The cloth is then dipped in to the vat containing the indigo dye and then removed. At first bright green, the cloth rapidly becomes blue as oxygen meets the dye particles on the fibers . An indigo vat need only to be made once, then can be used for ages. Dipping into the indigo vat for a second time will deepen he colour in the blue portions of an ajrakh design. If two shades of blues are required then the cloth is reprinted between immersions into tthe indigo vat, to preserve areas of lighter blue acheived from the first dip. After each indigo dip the cloth is spread out and oonly once all indigo dyeing is complete, then only cloth can be washed.
43
11. WASHING Thorough washing and beating at the washing tanks removes the resist paste, the loose indigo dye, and the taramarind seed paste from the cloth. This washing begins gently, to loosenn the clay of the resist pastes without smudging, then becomes a vigorous soaking and beating to ensure the cloth is free from gums and starches from the printing pastes and ready or the red dye. Remaininf on the fibers are the indigo blue, kut black, alum from the pa and gach mordants and the resisted plain white areas
The cloth is submerged in the washing tanks, carefully soaked to remove resits , then thoroughly beaten to ensure all printing gums and straches have been completely removed
45
12. RED DYEING Alizarin crystals or the crushed and steeped roots of majeeta or Indian Madder are gently heated in a large copper pot. The fire beneath is kept low and the lengths of cloth continuously stirred using two sticks. Dyeing the purest reds continues for four hours. The cloth is carefully watched; if colour spreads into the white area a handful of dried tamarisk flowers are added.
13. TAPANO The colour compounds contained within natural madder roots are much more complex than those of synthetic alizarian. As a result dyeing with majeeta often leaves a pinkish tinge to the white areas of a design. Over time a procedure was developed counteract this staining. The dyed cloth would be soaked in a solution of camel dung, then spread on the sandy banks of a river in the sun and regularly sprinkled with water to keep it moist throughout the daay.This woukd ne repeated over at least three days, by the end of which the sun, moisture and various commpounds in the dung would act as a bleaching agent on the white areas of a design. 14. FINAL WASHING The final washing and beating to remove any loose colour is vital. It clears the excess dyes and makes the whiteness of the ajrakh stars shine bright. For every stage in the process the quality and mineral content of the water affects the quality and fastness of the colours and the clarity of the design.
47
49
PRODUCT RANGE • Kammar band (Waist cloth) • Chadar (Bed spread) • Rajai (Blanket) • Salwar Kameez • Dhoti • Lungi • Turban • Dupatta • Shawl • Safa (head covering) • Malir (skirt fabric)
51
MARKET SCENARIO Earlier Ajrak was sold in the local market, wherever it was being manufactured. It mostly used during weddings and given as a gift to elders as it is considered auspicious and is also a sign of respect. Nowadays Ajrak is also being sold in the urban markets. Ajrak block prints are being used as bed sheets, cushion covers and for soft furnishings. It is used as yardage for garments, salwar kurtas, skirts, dupattas and stoles. In the international market it is being sold through big exporters, so the local printer or manufacturer does not gain much out of it. Some Japanese buyers have been sourcing directly from the printers but the percentage of quantities they source is negligible. The profit margins for crafts people are low since the crafts people are dependent on wholesalers who keep large margins and pay very low prices for the Ajrak. The cost 11of the blocks is high in relation to the margins of the Ajrak, making new investment in blocks difficult. No credit facilities are available to the craftsmen. As a result, the younger generations are being weaned away from the traditional source of livelihood.
53
BIBLIOGRAPHY
https://strandofsilk.com/journey-map/gujarat/ajrak-printing/history Ajrakhpur : Home to the art of Block Printing http://travelsintextiles.com/the-process-of-ajrakh-block-printing-accordingto-ismail-mohammed-khatri-ajrakhpur/ http://www.india1001.com/blogs/news/10703197-ajrak-printing-the-storyof-ajrakpur http://www.india1001.com/blogs/news/10703197-ajrak-printing-the-storyof-ajrakpur http://www.anokhi.com/museum/home.html
55