Kutch Khaas

The beauty of Bandhani, awesomeness of Ajrakh and splendour of Shibori

Kutch located in Gujarat is not only a traveller's paradise, but home to a multitude of craft forms ! Ajrakh refers to a unique form of block printing technique with origins in Sindh. The highly complex designs and geometrical motifs are achieved using wooden blocks and then pressing these blocks by hand on the fabric. Ajrakh products are traditionally made with natural dyes prepared from indigo, anar, turmeric etc.Bandhani (Hindi: बांधानी), derived from the Sanskrit word banda ("to tie") is a type of tie-dye process done by plucking the cloth with the fingernails into many tiny bindings (tying). The fabric is then dyed and once dried, it is opened to reveal elaborate, breathtaking, intricate patterns. In India Bandhani art is practised mainly in Gujarat, Rajasthan, Punjab and Tamil Nadu. Accordingly it is referred to by local names such as Bandhej, Bandhani, and Sungudi. The Khatri community in Kutch specializes in Bandhani art. Shibori is a tie-and-dye art which has its origins in Japan. In this technique, the fabric is bound, stitched, folded, twisted, or compressed and each way results in very different patterns.