This is Ismailbhai, on the magazine cover above. He and his family are Sufi Muslims. They are Ajrakh printers near Bhuj, in Kutch, Gujarat.
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Kutch:
A General Description of the Geographic Area:
Geographically speaking, Kutch is an area located in the northwestern corner of the westernmost Indian state of Gujarat. Kutch borders Pakistan to the north, and the Arabian Sea to the west and south. It is essentially a desert area known for being largely destroyed by a terrible earthquake in 2001. The land itself is extremely hot, dry, and barren. For ages, existence there has been incredibly difficult, and the people who live there are very strong. They are also, to my experience, remarkably peaceful, happy, and friendly, in spite of their hardships.
Concerning economics: Since the earthquake, Kutch has received a good deal of government subsidy -- for building homes, road & infrastructure, etc.. Additionally, the magnificent traditional arts of embroidery, done by virtually all of the villages throughout Kutch, used & produced here for ages, are now becoming popular and appreciated worldwide, and the selling of those items to consumers in India & abroad is bringing additional much-needed income to the area. Many villages have been entirely rebuilt since the earthquake.
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My Trip To Kutch & Bhuj
I spent a week in Kutch & Bhuj recently, during late October of 2005. During this time, I was researching various producers & merchants of traditional Kutchi handicrafts & goods, for purposes of exporting the goods to the USA. I visited several different tribal villages, and saw up-close the living styles &/or production methods and work of several various tribes, including Harijan tribe, Rabari tribe, Ayer, and others. Each tribe has its own distinct style. Throughout Kutch, the language of Kutchi is generally spoken, though the educated class speaks Gujarati, or even English.
In this blog, I report on the production of Ajrakh cloth, in Ajrakhpur, Kutch. This
Ajrakh printing, done by Sufi Muslins, is entirely different than the embroidery work done by the Hindi Tribal groups that I write about above and that Kutch is renowned for. However, the process of Ajrakh printing is very interesting and worthwhile. The process is to be respected & appreciated.
It is my hope to be able to export these Ajrakh goods to the USA. However, as these sheets are pricier than those made with less time-consuming & inferior products, and the area is so remote & difficult to get to, I wonder if it is feasible to do so right away, considering the cost. If I am unable to do business with Ajrakhpur in 2005, I intend to do business with them before the end of 2006. My ability to do business with them immediately would depend on a favorable response, by American wholesalers & consumers, to the information contained in this blog.
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Ajrakh Printing of Kutch
Ajrakh printing is a cloth block printing technique that employs beautiful geographic patterns and other designs, a high percentage of which are traditional to India & other areas with Sufi Muslim roots (the Mideast, etc.). Many of the designs go back for nine generations in Ismailbhai's family, and some of the designs are hundreds or even thousands of years old.
These Ajrakh printers also generally use natural (vegetable & mineral) dyes, which is most unusual in the textile industry that is today totally dominated by the use of less expensive, less healthy, and less vibrant chemical dyes.
These are a few pages of a magazine article in which Ismailbhai was featured. I have scanned the entire 20 page article, so, if anyone wants to read it, please let me know.
Click on any photo to expand.
