Ajrakh Dupattas

Ajrak is a traditional art of block printing practised in the Kutch region of Gujarat. Ajrak is believed to have had its origins in the Indus Valley Civilisation. Originally the Khatri community lived along the banks of river Sindh, which is now in Pakistan. The community migrated to Kutch and settled there. Ajrak or Azark literally means 'blue' in Arabic and can be easily associated with the Ajrak printing due to the prominence of blue in the art.

The process of creating the Ajrak print is extremely painstaking and time consuming. It involves multiple steps of dyeing and resist printing using natural dyes and mordants. There are a number of people involved in the process of manufacturing a single piece of fabric.

At Weaves of Tradition, we love all things Ajrak. Ajrakh dupattas are made on naturally dyed cottons, handloom Chanderi cotton silk and silk. These dupattas are an outfit in themselves. Pair them with a plain kurti and you are all set.