he Ancient History Of Alluring Ajrakh Fabrics
Ageless Ajrak fabric is known for its beautiful prints, mainly dominated by shades of red and blue put together in spread out patterns. Ajrak prints fabric has its roots in th...
Ageless Ajrak fabric is known for its beautiful prints, mainly dominated by shades of red and blue put together in spread out patterns. Ajrak prints fabric has its roots in th...
Ageless Ajrak fabric is known for its beautiful prints, mainly dominated by shades of red and blue put together in spread out patterns. Ajrak prints fabric has its roots in the Indus valley civilisation dating back to 2500 BC -1500 BC. This unique block-printed fabric is made in Sindh, Pakistan, Kutch in Gujarat, and Barmer in Rajasthan. It is said that Ajrakh printing was at its peak in India around the 16th century when the Khatri community from Sindh (current Pakistan) migrated to Kutch in Gujarat. The ruler of Kutch province was so enamoured by Ajrakh prints that he encouraged the talented artisans that belonged to the Khatri community to inhabit the lands of Kutch Gujarat and bring that beauty of Ajrakh alive. Today, the villages of Ajrakhpur in Kutch and Barmer in Rajasthan are devoted to making Ajrakh fabric for the newer generations. The dominant colours found in Ajrakh are red and indigo, representing Earth and twilight, respectively. However, contemporary Ajrakh prints also have added vibrancy of yellows and oranges. Traditionally, black and white colours are used for outlining the designed motif.
Making Ajrakh print fabric is a long and arduous process and is deeply connected with water and its quality. It is said that the iron content of the water decides the outcome of the fabric. There are several stages involved in making Ajrakh. First, ajrakh material is made using the resist printing technique. This unique technique allows the absorption of dye or natural dye only in the intended areas according to the desired pattern. Then, the fabric is washed several times using mordants, oils and camel dung to get the desired effects and vibrant colours.
Once the fabric goes through the many steps before the final dyeing, the material is ready for Ajrakh printing. The artisans use a special resist paste and then start dying; this step is repeated several times before the final design is achieved in deep red and indigo shades. Although Ajrakh printing takes a lot of time and effort to make, it is said that the longer the wait time between the steps, the final look of the fabric will be more mesmerising. A well-made Ajrakh material can take 2-3 weeks to make. One can only imagine the skills possessed by the artisans that make these Ajrakh Hand Block Print fabrics. Earlier, cotton was the primary fabric used for printing Ajrakh. However, with demands for different materials taking over, materials such as cotton-silk blends, silk, modal, chanderi etc., are incorporated for making traditional Ajrakh prints.
Ajrakh print fabric has gained immense popularity recently, owing to the newfound interest in artisanal fabrics. As a result, many homegrown designers have woken up to fine quality fabrics that are unique and deeply rooted in our culture. Ajrakh is one such fabric in India's list of intricately woven or dyed fabrics.
With a plethora of unique prints and fabrics, Ajrakh print has been used to offer various products in the markets. Ajrakh dresses, Ajrakh sarees, dupattas & stoles are all celebrated in India and worldwide. Many designers have even crafted home decor using Ajrakh prints. Many small home-grown brands makeAjrakh Print Items such as potlis, handbags, Kurtis and Ajrakh designer wear, notebooks and trendy Ajrakh kaftans.
Ajrakh stands out for its vivid patterns put together after 22 stages of very diverse and time-consuming preparations for the outcome. Ajrakh hand block print fabrics mostly use natural dyes and hand-carved wooden blocks for printing. The primary colours in Ajrakh are crimson-red derived from madder plants. Indigo blue comes from the Indigo plant. Iron shaving, millet flour, and molasses mixed with tamarind seeds make black dye for printing.
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Ajrakh print is distinguished by the elaborate motifs used in its printing. These are primarily geometric, jewel-type shapes that symbolise nature and elements such as flowers, trees etc. The most common motif found in Ajrakh is a trefoil, representing the unity of water, earth and sun.
Ajrakh print is done primarily in the Kutch district in Gujarat and Barmer in Rajasthan. However, the Khatri community has been printing Ajrakh for centuries and has its roots in the Indus Valley civilisation.
Ajrakh is a type of printing done on different fabrics such as cotton, cotton-silk blends, silk, chanderi, modal silk and more.
The process of making Ajrakh prints is very methodical and tedious. It takes 22 stages of different aspects to make Ajrakh print fabrics. First, the material is dyed using resist-dyeing to get its beautiful and intricate patterns.
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