Prakruti brings to Coimbatore Ajrakh, Ashavali, Muslin, and Indigo Dyes
The Hindu
An exhibition of natural dyes and handlooms is organised in Coimbatore
The two-day expo of hand weaves and natural dyes, Prakruti, is back in Coimbatore with 25 stalls.
The second edition of the exhibition at Padmavathi Ammal Cultural Centre on October 21 and 22 has weavers from different States, including Gujarat, Rajasthan, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Madhya Pradesh displaying fabrics.
Sreeram, a 46-year-old tailor from Munnar, has developed a wide range of Indigo-dyed fabrics and plant leaf dyed materials. Having learnt the art of Indigo dyeing, he has created different patterns on fabrics. There are also natural dyed purses, hair bands, and hair clips.
Bakr Society of Kochi has displayed t-shirts that have natural-dye prints made by in-house developed screen printing techniques.
Royal Brocades from Gujarat, which supplies fabrics to the Thailand Royal Family, not only makes stoles and sarees of the traditional Ashavali designs, but also trains women from non-traditional weaving families in making the traditional Gujarati brocade designs. Stoles made by these women are also on display.
Arup Rakshit of MG Gramodyog Sewa Sansthan says it takes about three days to weave one metre of muslin cloth. The organisation has displayed muslin fabric, desi cotton fabrics, and sarees made by tribal women. It is also training tribal women make muslin fabrics.
Abdul Jabbar from Kutch, a ninth generation weaver, has silk sarees with Ajrakh (Kutch block printing). His family also trains people in block printing. Badsha Miyan of Jaipur, a fifth generation handloom weaver, says they make silk sarees in 50 natural shades.