Ajrakh, enmeshed in folklore history legend, is a fabric which rightfully commands a design statement of our times. Ajrakh whose elaborately intricate making and ownership is a sense of pride, finds a place of admiration in the world of textile. The deep indigo and mesmerizing maroon highlighted with tinges of black and white of an Ajrakh product appeals the heart and soul of any beholder.
The artisan works lovingly on the fabric with a sensibility enmeshed in years of tradition to produce finished products of cutting edge design with innumerable variations. Using resist and mordanting techniques on natural dyes coupled with the rhythmic placements of the blocks, the karigar(craftsman) presents a work of art, enmeshed in beauty and skill. The resist block printed designs on an Ajrakh draw the viewer in to a complex world of design juxtapositions in a sheer flow of mathematical poetry.
The word Ajrakh can be interpreted as the twinkling positions of the stars in an evening sky. The sheer fluid complexity of mathematical configurations exemplifying the garment as a quantum fold in space belies its roots in the Persian ‘Mizan’ or the single unifying theory of time a space linking the very elements of the cosmos. To achieve the high art on fabric, the Ajrakh dyer uses the deepest blue of indigo and the molten red of madder eulogizing the divinity of the twin opposing forces of creation. It is the sheer beauty of form and feel that makes Ajrakh a prized fabric to grace any collection.
Traditional Trivia
The patterned configuration of an Ajrakh print is a mirror interpretation of the trigonometric architectural symmetry in medieval Islamic structures encapsulating it with the singular binding theory of the universe. The artisan works lovingly on the fabric with a sensibility enmeshed in years of tradition to produce finished products of cutting edge, design with innumerable variations. Using resist and mordanting techniques on natural dyes coupled with the rhythmic placements of the blocks, the karigar(artisan) present a work of art enmeshed in beauty and skill. The resist block printed designs on an Ajrakh draw the viewer in to a complex world of design juxtapositions in a sheer flow of mathematical poetry.Ajrakh print shares a common link with the states of Gujarat, Rajasthan and Sind in Pakistan. Around 500 years ago the then Maharaval of Kutch invited a group of Khatri artisans to settle at Dhamadka near Bhuj in order to exclusively provide printed fabric to the nobility. These artisan branched out into a range of block printed and surfacial methods to serve the needs of various local communities, but the pride of their trade still remain Ajrakh. Master artisans extrapolate traditional design variations such as Amlaliya, Jalebiya, the famous kakkar pattern and a mirror of cloud formations traced back to archaeological evidences of costumes prevalent during the Indus valley civilization.
The truly skill intensive process of creating an Ajrakh master price makes it all the more valuable. Ajrakh also has two interesting almost magical qualities. The stages of resist dye application and subsequent washing in the crystalline waters of flowing rivers ensure that the printing is not superficially surfacial but the dyes enamor the grid betwixt the warp and weft of the fabric making the finished item bloom in vibrancy and tensile strength with the passage of time. The other endearing quality of the product is that it has the inherent ability to keep the wearer warm in winters and cool in summers.
This lyrical symmetry was also used as the title for a musical composition in the late sixties by an eminent composer and musician , Marc Bolan for Tyrannosaurus Rex.
Community Involved
Khatri community has been involved in this craft traditionally.
Raw Materials Used
- Silk and cotton fabric
- Natural Dyes
- Chemical Dyes