Wouldn’t it have been better if blue and indigo, two of the most worn colours, were produced in an eco-friendly manner? Brij Ballabh Udaiwal, a fifth generation block printer from Sanganer is fervently rooting for the switch. In Bengaluru recently, the National Awardee conducted a workshop on indigo and indigo dyeing. The audience were also told about various tools available at home, especially the kitchen, which can be used for value addition. “People made their products and took them away with them. They felt a need for a follow-up workshop on other dyeing techniques like shibori, chawal resist dyeing, mud-resist dyeing etc. soon,” said Brij, who was brought to the city by Registry of Sarees. He had also exhibited indigo saris, stole and dupattas at the venue.
“Natural Indigo is good for the skin and environment, which is why we are pressing for it. There is not much awareness about it — we wear synthetic indigo. The consumption of natural indigo is like a dot when compared to the production of synthetic indigo.” To change this, Brij is trying to create awareness and encourage farmers to grow indigo through his NGO Shilpi Sansthan.
“Right now, indigo farming is done mainly in Villupuram in Tamil Nadu, which is not enough considering it is also used in medicine and hair dye. We are discovering areas where indigo can be grown or is already there. We were surprised to find wild indigo near the Chambal river in Rajasthan. We also found it in the North East not just Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. About 45 farmers and dyers are growing indigo in these areas now. If you grow indigo next to your crop of say wheat or anything, your crop will double up. So, indigo is also a very good fertiliser,” says the artist, who also runs a workshop producing designs, on a smaller scale. Waiting for his produce of natural indigo to be ready, Brij will then take a major plunge in the market.
Even in Sanganer, the hub of block printing, Brij tells us that out of 750 families engaged in the craft, very few are practising natural indigo dyeing.
Though indigo dyeing is also practised in other areas besides Sanganer in Rajasthan, it is mostly synthetic dyeing. “While it was the rangrez community which used to dye, with their numbers dwindling, Cheepas or blockprinters have started to dye as well.”
In terms of design too Sanaganer differs from other centres of block printing like Bagru. “While Sanganer is known for its intricate designs, Bagru is known for bold motifs. Though traditional designs are the biggest draw even now, designers and customers are experimenting with new designs,” adds Brij. Right now, his designs are available as Indigoferry on www.Limeroad.com. He is also planning to sell through Areev in Bengaluru.
(For more details visit www.shilpihandicrafts.com)
