Sindhi Ajrak
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History**
Ajrak is the hallmark of Indus valley civilization. The rich crimson and deep indigo with black and white colors; that separate each symmetrical pattern on royal shawl, symbolizes a radiant and highly synchronized reddish maroon terrain that is spread all around the surface on which it is made. This is exactly how you feel when you see Ajrak being made for the first time, especially when they make it in bulk where one piece is made distinct from other with horizontal and vertical borders farming symmetrical patterns.
Many of us know Ajrak as a prestigious cloth of Sindh but a very few know what history it bears before it started as a permanent tradition of the land of civilization. A cloth resembling the pattern of Ajrak was first found tied around the shoulders of a king priest when diggings took place at Mohenjo-Daro. The similar patterns on cloth were also found in excavations in the Old World around Mesopotamia (Iraq) in trefoil scattered with small circles with interiors filled in red dye. The trefoil symbolizes three sun-disks merged together to represent the union of gods of sun, water and earth.
Nature plays an important role in the making of Ajrak. Craftsmen work in total accord with the environment where the trees, animal, rivers, sun and even mud are all a part of its making. The standard size of an Ajrak cloth is 2.5 – 3 meter.
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Cultural Importance**
Ajrak is derived from an Arabic word Azrak meaning blue as blue is the prime dye of Ajrak printing.
For Sindh it is more than fabric, it is the symbol of respect and hospitality. Both, people who hold valued positions and those who are ordinary inhabitants of River Indus, have the same usage of Ajrak in their respective lives. **Guests are traditionally honored with this cloth when they visit Sindh and it is also an important part of their cultural events and gatherings.
****(I myself witness this tradition of giving Ajrak to the guests in rural Sindh. Even the grooms dress from in-laws contains an Ajrak)
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When talking of the Sindhi Culture, the idiom “from cradle to grave” would perfectly fit on the usage of Ajrak which starts right from a child’s birth when Ajrak is used as a hammock. It is a fundamental part of Sindhi culture and an integral part of Sindhi apparel. Men would wear it as turbans or as a shawl around their shoulders and women would wear it as dupatta or chaadar. It is an integral part of a girl’s dowry in Sindh. Ajrak has such dominance in Sindh’s culture that wearing it means the honor and autonomy of the province. Ajrak is used not only as shawls but also as dupattas, turbans and in bed sheets, cushions, mats, mugs etc. **(Even the pattern of tiles at shrines of Sufi saints reminds you Ajrak)
Making of Ajrak
**The making of Ajrak is an amazing and arduous art. Interestingly as it is an art that cannot be learned in schools yet its perfection has never been seen altered since its inception. The complicated designs are first carved by skillful craftsmen on wooden blocks and then transferred to the cloth immersed in crimson-blue dye. Block making is family craft and passed down from generations to generations. Several blocks are made to print patterns effectively and with great precision throughout the cloth. For this ruler, compass and other geometrical tools are also used to maintain the balance and harmony of repeated patterns.
An authentic Ajrak is made by printing the symmetrical pattern on both sides of fabric using the method called Resist Printing.In the construction of geometric patterns, the compass and ruler are the two major instruments used by the block-makers. The wood most suitable for carving is from the indigenous trees of Sindh. The Babur, Keekar, Tali (Sheesham) From the seasoned wood, a block is cut to the required size and sanded on a stone to get a levelled plane surface, which is then checked out by the edge of a steel rule. Diagonals are marked, and the square is quartered, and then further sixteenth.
The pattern drawn on paper is transferred by etching fine lines onto the surface of the block.It normally takes the block-maker a week to carve a complete set. A set usually comprises of 7 blocks. Asl (1 block) for kiryana printing; kut (1 block) for datta printing; phulli (1 block) for gad printing. Two blocks each of kharrh and meena are carved so that two artisans can print simultaneously.
The complicated process of Ajrak making differs from centre to centre, and craftsman to craftsman. The ustos vary the proportions of the ingredients used and the duration of time required for a certain stage of the process, according to weather changes, fabric structure and availability of raw materials.
Teli Ajrak is famous for its unique and magical properties.** When worn, used and washed frequently, the colours instead of fading, become more brilliant and luminous; in fact the fabric eventually gives way, but the colours remain fresh.** This traditional method of making an Ajrak involves more time and effort. Today, very few craftsman go through this tedious process completely, and instead, take short cuts due to which variations are emerging.
