Ajrakh Print

   Ajrakh is one of the oldest living textiles in the world. The history of Ajrakh print can be traced back  

Indus Valley Civilization

  to the Indus valley civilization around 2500 BC to 1500 BC. A bust of the King Priest excavated at Mohenjodaro shows a shawl — believed to be an 

Ajrakh—draped around his shoulders, which is decorated with a trefoil pattern (like a three-leafed clover). This pattern, survives as the cloud pattern in the modern Ajrakh.

     It seems to be originated from Sindh in Pakistan and still be practised in Sindh and in
parts of Gujarat and Rajasthan in India.Textiles printed in this style are hand-India.Textiles printed in this style are hand-printed using natural dyes on both sides by a laborious and long process of resist printing (a method of printing in which designated areas in the pattern are pre-treated to
resist penetration by the dye).

bust of the King Priest

     Ajrakh printed cloth is one of the softest textiles to wear against the skin, as it's fibres soften during the rigourous process of printing. In Sindh, it is used as swaddling cloth for new borns.The people of Sindh have a deep reverence for Ajrakh. From birth to marriage,until death, Ajrakh celebrates all significant events of the life cycle. Ajrakh is worn as a turban, a shawl, spread as a bed-sheet or tablecloth and when worn out, it is recycled as a hammock for babies, cover for a bullock cart and most commonly used as a backing to patchwork quilts. It is used and reused till threadbare. It is worn by the wealthy as well as the poor — the colours, patterns and design-format remain the same, only the quality of the fabric is different.


     The kathri families which practice Ajrakh today in Gujarat migrated from Sind many centuries ago. One story goes like this about their migration. they migrated by the invitation of the raja of Kutch, Bharmalji I. The maharaja asked them to choose an area to settle in. The Khatris chose the village of Dhamadka due to the availability of running water, which is a very integral part of the process of Ajrakh. The Kathris were Hindus at that time. As a Hindu custom they had to give lot of gifts and money on the occations of births, marriages and deaths. When they met a few sufi saints (who explained to them about Islam), to escape from their Hindu custom they converted to Islam. Now They have been settled in the village Ajrakhpur, which was established back in 2001 when, after a devastating earthquake, the village Dhamadka, where the Khatris were established , was destroyed. Although, a terrible thing to happen, the livelihood of many artisans
   
















Source URLs

http://www.textilemuseum.org/aheadofhistime/timeline5.html
http://saumyanagar.wordpress.com/
http://travelsintextiles.blogspot.in/2010/07/fascinating-history-and-culture-of.html
http://www.copperwiki.org/index.php?title=Ajrakh_Printing

books & journals

Indian Journal of Traditional Knowledge
vol. 7(1). January 2008. pp 93-97