Hand Block Printed Silk Saree, Color : Black Blue

What is Ajrakh Printing?

Ajrakh is a type of Hand Block Printing, intricate and fine, typically floral and has root in Moghul Cultural.

Traditionally, Ajrakh is printed with carved Wooden Blocks thumped on the Fabric side by side with precision by skillfull Hands of Artisan.

Ajrakh Hand Block Printing. How Ajrakh Printing is done

Hand Printing with Ajrakh Blocks

This exclusive hand block-printing technique came to Kutch from Sindh, some 400 years ago at the behest of the King of Kutch.

The craftsmen from Khatri community were invited to come and practice their art on the Banks of Dhamadka river.

The popular story among local artisans is that Ajrakh means “keep it today”.

Natural Dying of Ajrakh Printed Fabric

Dying Hand Printed Fabric with Natural Colours

Ajrakh Printing is sixteen step process of washing, dyeing, printing, and drying.

One day for each step is needed and the cloth is put to rest in the other time.

The ingredients in Ajrakh Natural Dying are derived from nature such as wild indigo, pomegranate bark and seeds, and harde. Camel dung is also used to remove starch from the fabric. Apart from this the artisans use rusted iron to create dye.

Dying and Washing off Resist from Ajrakh Printed Fabric

Washing to Remove Resist from Ajrakh Printed Fabric

Washing out Resist :

Resist applied on Fabric for Ajrakh Print is then washed out in to the pond

STEPS OF AJRAKH PRINTING :

The cloth is soaked in Harada (tamarind seed powder) solution and dried under sun. Then the Cloth is fixed on platform with ball pins to begin block printing.

Dye paint is kept in a dye tray and the wooden blocks are immersed in the dye and printed on the cloth. Initially borders are printed first and then outlines of the design are printed. Newspaper is used to avoid printing on other areas. Different blocks are used for each color.

After the printing is done, it is washed in plain water. Then it is washed in flowing water. Between each wash the cloth is beaten on the stone slab to remove all impurities.

Then washed cloths are spread on the ground and dried under the Sun.

Then as it dries it is folded and taken for the next step i.e; Indigo Dying.

The cloth is dyed in indigo color to get blue shade.

Dyed cloths are again dyed in solution of alizarin and Dhawdaka Phul.

These dyed cloths are dried in