Ajrak, a traditional block-printed fabric, more famous in Indian Sub-continent, has been into existence for centuries. The word “Ajrak” is of Arab origin and derived from the word “Azrak” meaning blue in Arabic. It comes in unique designs and patterns in intense colours, mostly rich crimson and deep indigo with some white and black used to define the geometric symmetry in design.
Ajrak is much more than just a piece of fabric for the local population as it symbolises pride for men as turban / shawl and respect and glory for women as Dupatta / drape. Besides traditional use of Ajrak, there is a whole new variety of diversified products made out of this rich and cultural fabric such as dresses, tops, decorative items, bed linen, etc. This has opened avenues for artisans and products are marketed internationally using the traditional Ajrak pattern and modern use.
Ajrak is one of the products that is more closer to nature as the making has to be closely synchronised with the environment. The sun, river, animals, trees and mud are all part of its making. Ajrak as we see in final shape and form goes through a laborious and highly complex process and stages, each with a distinct name attached to it.
The first stage called the “Khumbh” is where the raw cloth is cut into fine sheets, washed in the river, coiled and placed on top of a copper vat, heated by a log fire, through the night and the next day. This opens the pores of the cloth and makes it soft so that the impurities can be easily cleansed. In the next stage or the “Saaj”, the cloth is soaked in a mixture of camel dung, seed oil and water enabling the cloth to become softer while also acting as a natural bleaching agent. The wet cloth is then tied into an airtight bundle and kept for 5 -10 days, depending upon the weather. A distinct smell of mango pickle emanating from the bundle confirms that the fibers have been well soaked with oil. After passing through some other treatments and a final thorough wash is the river again, the cloth is moved to workshops for printing.
Wooden blocks are carved from the local trees indigenous to “Sindh” region of present day Pakistan. The unique repeated grid pattern gives the design its character. The pattern is first transferred to the block and then carved with great precision by the block-maker, who uses very simple tools. The blocks are carved in pairs that can register an exact inverted image on the other side. This is followed by dying the fabric and taking this to a river the next morning for a final wash before sunrise. Here the craftsmen swish and thrash the Ajraks to a rhythmic counts in the water for an hour or more until the excess dye has been washed off and the white areas become clear. Besides these, there are few more stages that the fabric goes through before it gets into the shame and form knows to us as “AJRAK”.