The state of Gujarat in western India has a rich history of producing a diverse range of textiles that are deeply connected to its past. The legacy has been passed down through generations, ensuring that most continue to thrive even today. One of the most famous textile crafts from Gujarat is ajrakh, which has been practiced in the Sindh, Barmer, and Kutch regions for 2,500 to 5,000 years. Recently, the Office of the Controller General of Patents, Designs, and Trademarks (CGPDTM) has officially granted the Geographical Indication (GI) certificate to the traditional artisans of 'Kutch Ajrakh,' who are renowned for their exceptional artistry from Gujarat's Kutch region. The GI tag is a certification that helps identify the product, service, or art as originating from a specific geographical region.
The awe-inspiring artistry of Ajrakh is a centuries-old tradition of hand-block painting that produces unique and intricate designs on treated cotton cloth. This complex process takes up to three weeks to complete and involves treating textiles with vegetable and mineral colours, washing them multiple times, and using around blocks for resist printing and dyeing. The skilled manipulation of two types of resist, including a mud and lime resist, creates multi-layered designs that are truly breathtaking. The result is a stunning textile art piece that typically uses blue or red vegetable dyes.
The regions of Dhamadka and Ajrakhpur in Kutch are renowned for the traditional hand block printing technique known as Ajrakh. Cotton cloth is first dyed in a single color, and then various hand-carved blocks are used to create intricate and beautiful designs on it. Matani Pachedi is another form of Ajrakh printing, alongside Saudagiri prints from Ahmedabad and Batik prints from Bhuj, which are also classified under the Ajrakh umbrella.
Ajrakhpur, as the name suggests, is the original center for Ajrakh work in Gujarat. The Sind Muslims introduced this traditional work to the village 400 years ago. Since then, it has become a hub for tie-dye and block printing work that includes beautiful colors contrasting seamlessly with the dull hues of the desert. The village has grown to teach Kachchi men and women the art of producing fine Ajrakh work. Spending time in this gorgeous village will allow you to learn the fine art behind making these prints. Sometimes, the cloth needs to be washed up to 20 times to develop the finest piece of work that needs to be sold or sent out.
According to the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO), a geographical indication (GI) is a sign used on products that have a specific geographical origin and possess qualities or a reputation that are due to that origin. In order to function as a GI, a sign must identify a product as originating in a given place. In addition, the qualities, characteristics or reputation of the product should be essentially due to the place of origin. Since the qualities depend on the geographical place of production, there is a clear link between the product and its original place of production.