Ajrakh
A block-printed cotton of Sindh and Kutch, patterned in indigo blue and madder red.
Also: ajrak
Ajrakh is made by Khatri craftspeople in Sindh in Pakistan and in Kutch and western Rajasthan in India. The cloth passes through many stages over about two weeks: washing, printing a resist paste, printing mordants, dyeing in indigo, dyeing in madder, and repeated rinsing. The finished cloth has dense geometric and star-like patterns in deep blue and red with touches of white and black, traditionally printed on both sides. It is worn by herdsmen as a shoulder cloth and turban. The name is often linked to an Arabic word for blue.