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Crafts / Block Printing (Ajrakh)

Block Printing (Ajrakh)

State
Gujarat
Material
Cotton · Natural dye · Wooden block
Rarity
Popular

Printed twice, dyed many times

About

Deep indigo and red resist-dyed block prints from Kutch, printed on both sides by hand.

Block printing is the craft of printing patterns on cloth using carved wooden blocks dipped in colour or in a resist paste. India has many block-printing traditions. In Gujarat, the most famous is ajrakh, made in Kutch, in places such as Dhamadka, Ajrakhpur and Anjar. It combines hand block printing with resist dyeing and mordants, and the cloth is printed step by step on both sides, so the pattern looks the same on the front and the back.

Ajrakh is traditionally made by men of the Khatri community, who trace their roots to Sindh. The cloth is usually deep indigo blue and madder red, with black and white used to outline geometric patterns. A traditional ajrakh is about one metre wide and two and a half metres long, with a border on three sides and a central field of repeating motifs, and is worn as a shawl, turban, lungi or odhni.

Other important block-printing traditions elsewhere in India include the dabu and Bagru prints of Rajasthan, Sanganer in Rajasthan, and the Bagh print of Madhya Pradesh. Ajrakh itself is also found among the Sindhi communities in Rajasthan and in Sindh in Pakistan.

How it’s made

Block printing starts with fine cotton cloth that is washed and prepared. In ajrakh the cloth is printed in many stages, on both sides, with different resists and mordants. A mordant is a metal salt that makes natural dye stay on the cloth and brings out its colour. A resist is a paste, in this case dabu, a mixture of mud and lime, which is printed on the parts that must not take the dye.

The printing is done with carved wooden blocks. The blocks are pressed in colour or resist paste on the cloth, one after the other, with great care to line up the repeat. The common pattern in ajrakh blocks is dots between two lines, which were originally cut by hand and later made with brass nails. Different blocks print the borders, the outlines and the infill.

The cloth is then dyed in baths of indigo, for blue, and alizarin or madder, for red, using vats of earthenware and copper vessels and a furnace for heating. The printed resist protects its areas from the dye so the layers of colour build up in a sequence. The result is a cloth rich in layered colour, with the same pattern on both sides.

Key features

  • Carved wooden blocks printed by hand, on both sides of the cloth
  • Resist (dabu) of mud and lime, and mordants
  • Natural dyes: indigo blue and madder red, with black and white
  • Patterns built from dots between lines and circular motifs
  • Traditionally made by the Khatri community of Kutch
  • Cloth with a border on three sides and a central field
  • Main centres: Dhamadka, Ajrakhpur and Anjar in Kutch

History

Ajrakh is said to have started in Kutch in the sixteenth century, when Rao Bharmalji I of Kutch invited Khatri artisans from Sindh to settle there, giving them land and tax exemptions. In the seventeenth century the Khatri community settled on the banks of the Saran river in Dhamadka, which became known for fine block printing and natural dyes. The Khatris helped make Kutch a major centre of handmade textiles.

Traditional users of ajrakh included the Maldharis, Muslim animal-keepers of Kutch, and cattle herders in Marwar. Many patterns reflect Islamic influence, with strong geometry and symmetry, and many are named, such as riyal, designs built around circular motifs. The patterns are also linked to nature: black for the night sky, white for the stars and blue for dawn.

After the 2001 earthquake in Kutch, Khatri printers, with government and social support, set up a new printing centre called Ajrakhpur. Today ajrakh has become popular with designers and block-printing enthusiasts, which has brought new colours and blocks, and also some use of chemical dyes in cheaper products.

Facts

  • Both sides Printed on front and back. In ajrakh, the cloth is printed by hand on both sides, using different resists and mordants, so the pattern looks the same on the front and the back.
  • Dabu A mud and lime resist. Dabu is a resist of mud and lime printed on the cloth to stop the dye from reaching certain areas.
  • Ajrakhpur A town founded after an earthquake. After the 2001 earthquake, Khatri printers set up a new centre called Ajrakhpur in Kutch.
  • Night, stars, dawn Colours from the sky. In the traditional meaning of Anjar ajrakh colours, black stands for the night sky, white for the stars and blue for the dawn.

Market

Stoles, sarees and home textiles

Block-printed ajrakh is sold as shawls, dupattas, sarees, kurta material, bedcovers and home furnishings, through Kutch workshops, craft stores and online. Cheaper screen prints imitate the look. True ajrakh shows the same pattern on both sides, with natural-dye shades that deepen with washing.

Sustainability

Natural dyes, but water-heavy

Ajrakh uses plant and mineral dyes such as indigo and madder, which avoids many synthetic chemicals. The process uses much water for washing, which is a challenge, and some printers have moved to chemical dyes for cheaper goods. Asking for natural-dye ajrakh from certified workshops supports the traditional method.

Products

  • Ajrakh shawls and stoles: The classic one-by-two-and-a-half-metre cloth
  • Odhnis and dupattas: Printed head cloths and scarves
  • Turbans and lungis: Traditional men's wear
  • Sarees and dress material: Block-printed cotton lengths
  • Bedcovers, curtains and floor spreads: Home furnishings with ajrakh patterns

Words to know

  • Ajrakh: A block-printed and resist-dyed cloth from Kutch and Sindh.
  • Dabu: A resist of mud and lime.
  • Mordant: A metal salt that fixes natural dye.
  • Khatri: The community of fabric printers and dyers.
  • Riyal: A design built around circular motifs.
  • Block: A carved piece of wood used as a printing stamp.

Try it yourself

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