Traditional ajrak making revives in Sindh

HYDERABAD: It is for the first time in four decades that senior artisans are hopeful for the revival of the creative industry in Sindh, especially the centuries old ajrak making art. Aik Hunar Aik Nagar (AHAN), a not-for-profit subsidiary of Pakistan Industrial Development Corporation (PIDC) has been training young workers with the help of seasoned artisans to revive the ajrak making business to improve the livelihoods of the rural population living in Sindh. Traditionally, an ajrak is a blockprinted shawl made with natural dyes. It involves a lengthy and complex process comprising 21 stages. With time however, chemicals replaced the natural dyes and the lack of innovation resulted in a dwindled demand for the cloth. Now, with the help of AHAN, the old artisans who had lost work due to the low demand are re-introducing the use of natural dyes in the ajrak making process, and not only regaining employment, but also new orders. Young indigenous ajrak artisans are joining their elders in Bhitshah artisan colony in Matiari and working on new varieties of products to attract buyers. They have introduced 50- 60 new designs made from natural dyes to the urban markets. The dyes are made from tea leaf, bark, fruits, gum, seeds, vegetables, and plants. Their modus operandi includes participating in various exhibitions in Lahore and Karachi, where they get a better price and also have the opportunity to build their network and clientele. Imran Soomro, a young entrepreneur said the recent exhibition held in Lahore helped himearn a good income and establish contacts. He is now connected with the clients through social media and now wants to expand his workshop. The young trained artisans have the potential to become entrepreneurs. Many of them have already started micro enterprises. Allahdino Khatti, a veteran expert of ajrak making, who has led three generations of artisans in Sindh, said, “The downfall of the ajrak business started almost 40 years ago. Only Bhitshah

town had around 80 workshops in 70s, most of which later closed down one after the other. Now there are only 12 workshops running in the town, some of them established recently by young artisans,” he said. He said that the closing down of shops leftmany artisans in the lurch. “This revival will empower artisan families economically, who otherwise had lost all hope,” Allahdino added. There are only four colours, red, blue, black, and white in a traditional ajrak. But now the artisans can use more than 16 colours. Each workshop uses the same process of mixing 50 to 120 items for shining, depending on capacity and variety. A workshop can employ five to 35 artisans, depending on its size. Abdul Qadir Soomro, who claims to have trained more than 300 young artisans in ajrak making, now supervises young artisans at his workshop every day. His eight sons with 25 workers run the workshop, dealing with customers, attending exhibitions, and installing stalls. Each workshop has a different capacity, varying from the ability to create 500 to 1,500 metres per month. The work is done as per the received orders and the transactions are also made online with international buyers. The artisans do not use chemicals and though in the past the ajrak was only meant for winters, it has now become a year round choice. The materials vary from silk and lawn, to khadi. Silk is more costly and has more demand in the market. It costs Rs600-700 per metre to buy silk cloth from the wholesale market, and the end product – the dress, is sold for Rs5,000-7,000. Silk is expensive, so there are only two-three shops. The majority of the artisans work with cotton, and the prices vary from Rs300-Rs7,000 at the different shops, depending on materials. The major urban markets for these artisans are Lahore and Karachi. These high quality products are sold at a fix price to either wholesalers or retailers. Many families visiting the Shah Abdul Latif Bhitai shrine also purchase these items fondly. Shakeel Abro, regional coordinator, AHAN, said the use of natural dyes in ajraksazi goes far back in history. He said there are 70 workshops in the province, located in cities like Matiari, Hala, Sehwan, Tando Muhammad Khan, and Bhitshah. So far, 125 young artisans have been trained. Apart from training and placing the young workers at the workshops, AHAN is also encouraging them to design their profiles and linking them to the chambers of commerce and industry. It costs Rs500,000 to establish a new workshop, especially if wooden blocks are needed to create the different varieties of ajrak. The old ajrak making process was lengthier and also water intensive, hence more costly. The new products are easy and take little time to prepare, approximately two-days with one-side print, dying and washing.