S1 E7 - “Know your Ajrakh“

Episode 7: “Know your Ajrakh“

Ajrakh is said to signify the Universe. Because of the use of color palate. Color red for earth, black for darkness, white for clouds and blue for Universe itself. Think moonless, think midnight, think darkness… the star spangled sky, against a stark blue-black background. This is what ajrakh, meaning blue in Arabic, is likened to.

अबnoरmal proudly presents “Touring Talkies”
Season 1 “Kanyakumari se Kashmir tak - Ek Sari-torial Safar”.

This weekend our Sari-torial Safar takes us on on a journey that started in erstwhile Sindh & later migrated to Kutch,Gujarat in the 16th century, when the King of Kutch recognized the craft and invited the artisans to settle in the barren uninhabited land, along with dyers, printers, potters and embroiderers. This ancient craft derives it’s name from 'azarak', 'blue' in Arabic & Persian.

Our Guest Speaker today is Sarfaraz Khatri a 5th generation Ajrakh artist who along with his father Ahmed Khatri runs an Ajrakh studio by the name “Pracheen” in the busy bylanes of Mohd Ali Road in Bombay where they practice the age old tradition of handmade in natural dyes style of Ajrakh block printing.

Watch him unravel the magic of making a handmade Ajrakh with natural dyes step by step.

Watch history made or waiting to be made...see first hand an 80 year old block made by his grandfather & used in the Vishwakarma exhibition.
And, a rare handmade Ajrakh sari with 550 different blocks that could be a potential National Award winner!

Please sit back & enjoy the video we have filmed. Hope you appreciate our sincerity of effort & do provide constructive feedback, comments, suggestions & criticisms so I can work on them for future episodes.


Be sure to checkout "Lakdi ki kaathi... Kaathi pe ghoda.. choli."

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Video edit courtesy @kk_fotography

This video and its contents are the copyright of अबnoरmal (ABnormal) and Kamala Raman Iyer. All rights reserved. Any redistribution or reproduction of part or all of the contents in any form is strictly prohibited.

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