The main dye sources are madder root, alizarin, sappan wood and lac. Blue comes from the indigo plant (indigofera tinctoria); yellow is from pomegranate rinds and turmeric, green is achieved by over-dyeing indigo with turmeric and pomegranate, and black is produced from scrap iron and jaggery (raw cane sugar). The use of henna, rhubarb root and tamarisk also adds to the variety of shades produced.
