Ajrakh

Possibly the oldest known method of block printing in India dating back to the Indus Valley Civilisation, Ajrakh printing uses only wooden blocks and natural dyes and is a long and laborious process that entails the precise synchronising of the print on both sides of the fabric before dyeing it one colour at a time. In Arabic, Ajrakh means blue or indigo, Which is dominantly used in Ajrakh printing and hence the word. Patterned in intense jewel like colors, the dominant colors are rich crimson and a deep indigo and bits of white and black to give definition to the geometric patterns. Ajrakh colors emerge best on cotton fabric. These days silk is also used. As wood absorbs the color better and more uniformly, only wooden blocks are used in Ajrakh printing.