Ajrak

Ajrak is a name given to a unique form of shawls and tiles found in Sindh, Pakistan. These shawls display special designs and patterns made using block printing by stamps. Common colours used while making these patterns may include but are not limited to blue, red, black and yellow. Over the years, "ajraks" have become a symbol of the Sindhi culture and pride.

History

Early human settlements in the region which is now the province Sindh in Pakistan along the Indus River had found a way of cultivating and using "Gossypium arboreum" commonly known as "tree cotton" to make clothes for themselves. These civilizations are thought to have mastered the art of making cotton fabrics as early as 3000 BC. [cite web|title=The Story of Cotton|url=http://www.cotton.org/pubs/cottoncounts/story/|publisher=Cotton Counts|accessdate=2008-06-09] A bust of a king priest excavated at Mohenjo-daro shows him draped over one shoulder in a piece of cloth that resembles an ajrak.

What came as a formidable explanation for this observation was the trefoil pattern etched on the person's garment interspersed with small circles, the interiors of which were filled with a red pigment. Excavations elsewhere in the Old World around Mesopotamia have also yielded similar patterns appearing on various objects most notably on the royal couch of Tutankhamen. This symbol illustrates what is now believed to be an edifice depicting the fusion of the three sun-disks of the gods of the sun, water and the earth. Reminiscent geometry of the trefoil is evident on most of the recent ajrak prints.

The level of geometry on the garment comes from the usage of a method of printing called the woodblock printing in which prints were transferred from geometric shapes etched on the wooden blocks by pressing them hard on the fabric. This technique was first used in ancient China and was transferred via the silk route to Egypt. On its way through the populous regions of the Indus Valley, this technique of fabric printing was adopted at Mohenjo-daro.

The tradition still prevails centuries later and people still use the same methods of production that were used in the earlier days to create an ajrak. The garment has become an essential part of the Sindhi culture and apparel of a Sindhi person. Men use it as a turban, a cummerbund or wind it around the shoulders. Women use it as a dupatta or a shawl and sometimes as a makeshift swing for children. Ajraks are usually about 2.5 to 3-meters long, patterned in intense colours predominantly rich crimson or a deep indigo with some white and black used sparingly to give definition to the geometric symmetry in design.

Method

The authentic Ajrak is printed on both sides by a method of printing called resist printing. The printing is done by hand with hand carved wooden blocks. Several different blocks are used to give the characteristic repeated patterning. Making the blocks is a considerable challenge since the pattern has to synchronize perfectly with the whole of the Ajrak as well as cover various areas against dye.

The block maker uses the compass and the ruler for precision in making the graphs for the patterns. The balance or the mizan has to be perfect for the final result. Various tools are used for carving the blocks (pors) There are very few poregars left in Sindh and it is a highly specialized craft. The blocks are thrown into the river when the craftsmen are done with a pattern. Block making is a family craft and passed down from generation to generation.

The process by which the Ajrak is made is considered intuitive to the Ajrak makers. It is part of the existence of the craftsman and therefore not a 'job' but a form of life.

The basic process is called the Teli Ajrak. However, variations on the theme have emerged. Broadly the main processes are:
*1. Teli Ajrak
*2. Sabuni Ajrak
*3. Do Rangi Ajrak
*4. Kori Ajrak

The Teli Ajrak When worn and washed, the colors of the Ajrak become more brilliant and luminous. This is the most tedious and time consuming process and very few craftsmen today go through all the stages.

*1. The fabric used is usually Latha. (Pure Cotton/Calico). 40 pieces of 5 meter lengths are torn to make one lot.
*2. The pieces are washed in the river. The cloth is also soaked in a solution of Soda Bicarbonate and water.
*3. The fabric is then steamed to remove the impurities. (Chemical finishing). This is on a special mud stove called Khumbh for about 16 hours.
*4. It is washed again in the river and beaten to dislodge the impurities.
*5. Camel dung is soaked in water and the fabric is soaked in it to make the fabric soft and also acts as a bleaching agent (Alkaline). This helps the printing of the fabric.
*6. The fabric is then soaked in a solution of a special oil and Soda Bicarbonate. This is quite a complicated procedure and takes several days. The treatment is alternated and there are several steps to this. By the end oil is completely impregnated in the fibre. This is what gives the suppleness to the Ajrak as well as making it virtually indestructible.
*7. The next stage prepares the fabric for the printing stages. Gurrh (molasses), dried lemons, castor oil Sakun (tamarisk) and water are used to make a dough. This dough is mixed in a big vessel with water and the cloth is soaked in it.
*8. Chapayi/Printing: Gum and Lime is mixed with Alizarine for Kiryana (Printing of the white outlines) Blocks are soaked in the solution (brown) and the white outlines are printed over. This will be washed later to give the white outlines.
*9. Kut: Printing of the black areas: Gum, Ferrous Sulphate, Fullers earth and water are used to make the black outlines.
*10. The fabric on which Kut and Kiryana have been printed are now reprinted with the Kiryana mixture. This ensures that when the cloth is soaked in dye these areas will remain sparkling white or black and the color will not dye these areas.
*11. The next step is printing over the red areas. Amongst the ingredients used is Ata (wheat flour), Phitkari (alum), (Phitkari), Gurrh (molasses) and Saunf (fennel). The areas to be dyed red are printed and while still wet are dusted with ground cow dung or rice husk to protect against the indigo dye to be printed later.
*12. Indigo, Chuna (lime), Soda and Gurrh (Molasses) is used to dye the Indigo parts of the Ajrak.
*13. The dyed and dried Ajrak is taken to the river to be washed. The Ajrak is submerged in water to dislodge the gums, alums and dung.
*14. The Ajrak is then dyed with red dye which dyes the parts left over. Care is taken that the white areas are not dyed inadvertently.
*15. The Ajrak is treated with Camel dung and water to brighten the whites and make the colors brilliant.
*16. The Ajraks are again washed in soda water and in the river beaten to remove the dung. After drying they are ready for meena.
*17. All the areas except the ones dyed in indigo are covered by block printing with a mixture of Alum, gum and wheat flour. The resist print is then dusted with dry powdered dung to dry it.
*18. The Ajrak is again dyed in indigo (natural or chemical).
*19. The Ajraks are washed in Soda and water with bleaching powder to give a sparkle to the colors. Viola! Finally the Ajrak is ready.

The other three processes of Ajrak are variations on the same theme except that some short-cut or substitution is made. In the old days, only natural vegetable dyes were used for the Ajrak. Now, chemical dyes have been substituted. Natural Indigo is grown in Pakistan and is cheaper, therefore it is still used by some craftsmen.

The craft is an art in decline. Profit margins are low since the craftsmen are dependent on wholesalers who keep large margins and pay very low prices for the Ajraks. The cost of blocks is high in relation to the margins of the Ajrak making new investment in blocks difficult. Of-course, no credit facilities are available to the craftsmen. As a result, the younger generations are being weaned away from the traditional source of livelihood. The original Ajrak is disappearing; modern, quicker printing methods of copying the original patterns are fulfilling local demand.

Making of Ajrak

Ajrak is made all over Sindh, especially in Hala New, Bhit Shah, Moro, Sukkur, Kandyaro, Hyderabad, and many cities of Upper Sindh and Lower Sindh. It can be said that Ajrak is the sign of Sindh.

ee also

* Sindhi
* Sindhu

References

External links

* [http://www.tufs.ac.jp/common/fs/asw/urd/lib/docs/urdu_020506a.doc Ajrak Cloth from the Soil of Sindh by Noorjehan Bilgrami]
* [http://home.pacific.net.sg/~makhdoom/ajrak.html Ajrak]