Ajrakh is a block-printed textile, which makes use of resist-dye techniques with natural dyes. The Khatri community from Kachch has been practicing this craft, distinguished by its color and complex geometric patterns, dating back more than 4 centuries.
Ajrakh has been derived from azrak, meaning blue in Persian, or from the Kachchi expression, ‘keep it today. There are 14-16 different stages of dyeing and printing, which in total take 14-21 days to complete. The resulting cloth is soft against the skin.
Ajrakh looks like: “Stars shining in a night sky. Long may it shine.” (Mohammad Siddiq Khatri).
