These are the colourful block printed textiles from Rajasthan in the Surajkund Crafts Mela, Haryana, India. The fair is conducted by Haryana Tourism to promote Indian handicraft and handloom tradition and if you are a craft-savvy, it is a must-to-be-included item in your travel plan.
The Jaipur Sanganer area in Rajasthan is famous for this block printing techniques. One can find in these prints the harmony of various colours made of vegetable dyes. Fine looking sarees, salwar kurta sets, cotour garments are stylised with flowers and geometric configuration.
Ajrak, a type of block printing with hands and in this only natural dyes are used. A speciality of the Ajrak block printing is the use of many colours in individual motifs.
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Aurangzeb Soomro from Pakistan on 27-10-2009 AJRAK(Block print on fabrics):
Sindh and its people have been known for ages for a highly developed sense of colour combination and for bright coloured dresses. Ajrak has been and contineous to be one of the most fascinating and captivating sindhi handi crafts.
It is mentioned in Bible that when Lord Christ was born he was wrapped in a cloth called “Sindon”. It is thought that this kind of cloth was being exported by Sindh which had trade relations with other countries.
The replica of the King Priest of Moen-Jo-Daro shows him clothed in a printed stole with a print like that of the Kakar Block of the Ajrak. All this clearly indicates that man had developed fabric which was being designed as an item of fashion and it is this fabric is still in use and is called Ajrak.
During the period of Kalhora rule in Sindh, Ajrak and its artisons received patronage and Ajrak making because of much valued handicraft.
A piece of cloth selected for making Ajrak is first dipped in Caustic Soda and steamed in a kiln for 24 hours. It is then washed, dried and treated for three days if its main component is soap. If the main component is oil it is treated for 12 days. After that it is dipped in a compound which gives a beige tinge. The local term for this part of process is Kasai. This starts the process of block printing. The first impression covers the entire length and breadth of the cloth. These impressions are then filled with colour. The colour is locally prepared by using tamarind fruits, coppers, caster-oil and mustard oil. Black colour is impression is thus preserved on the cloth.
The next step is called Kriano (Gum and Lime Stone) leaves a coating on the print to make it appear white. This is followed by Khurrh (Gum and Flour) that coats and covers the print which is desired to be red. Simultaneously, a dye is used which brings out the blue.
Rice husk it is then sprinkled over the cloth to preserve different shades. The cloth is then dipped in an earthen vessel called Kun and dried. After washing it to remove the crudeness of the dyes, it is again dried and kept for sometime in a copper pot containing boiling red dye. It is then rubbed with camel dung and washed by sprinkling water. The final touch for five impressions is called Mena.
The artisons of traditional Ajrak think that camel dung used on Ajrak lends the colours sparkle and make them fast.
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