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Flowers in a River | Jawariya Block Printed Long Skirt / Ghagra - Black

ABOUT
drifting with the waves, floating as the wind takes them away... as women in traditional ‘Ghagra’ (skirts). These flowy ajrakh printed skirts win the hearts of women all over alike... suitable to be worn with a ‘Choli’ (traditional blouse) for an occasion or casually with a shirt, they’re sure to give your walk an elegant sway.

nadna-motif

From the plateaus of Madhya Pradesh, to the arid Thar Desert of Rajastha, to those of salt along the coastal lines of Arabian sea in Kutchh... she pulled a fistful of inspiration from where ever her clan moved, to embellish her ‘Odhni’ and ‘Ghagra’ with it. Champa, Dhola maru, Jalam Buta, Mirchi and Amba were her prized possessions. An icon amongst the women of the Bhil tribe, her attire was a canvas on which she tastefully arranged these motifs in compositions, collectively known as Nandna prints. The traditional motifs of the Nandana prints are therefore not necessarily influences from the flora and fauna in one locality.

Printing

Being of utmost comfort during their daily activities like farming, Nandana fabric was worn by all the women of the Bhil tribe alike. This is also a reason for the prevalence of dark colors like blue and green as backgrounds. While Champakali (a symbol of fertility) was popular amongst the unmarried women of the tribe, the skirts with Amba print were worn during marriages and also a few months following childbirth. The brothers also traditionally gifted it to the sisters on eves like Raksha bandhan, Diwali and Teej.

nadna

Block printing was practiced in places like Kukshi, Dharampuri and Thikri (Dhar district) by a group of Hindu and Mohammedan printers and dyers; the Chippas (printers) and the Nilgars (dyers). They catered to the clothing needs of the ‘Adivasis’ (native tribes). The patterns were mostly raw and coarse cotton was used. However, the printers and dyers, in their never-ending quest for ideal conditions to hone their craft kept wandering and a group is believed to have settled in the villages of Tarapur and Umedpura of Madhya Pradesh. The two villages are on two side of river Gambhiri. The mineral content of the river water in this region brought out the required richness in the colors. The craft is believed to have existed for over two hundred years here and grown to attain characteristic forms, which made it exclusive to the region.

river-tarapur

When the fabric is immersed in Harda solution, it gives a cream-yellow color to the fabric and acts as a mordant for the alum paste.

Davdi-flower-and-colouring

The cloth is spread out on the ‘Mez’ or table. The printing blocks are dipped in the alum paste and then pressed onto the fabric. The fabric is then dried in the sun. The fabric is boiled in ‘Alizarin’ and ‘Dhawdi ka phool’. The Dhawdi flower keeps the red color of ‘Alizarin’ from spreading into the printed alum. After it is boiled, the fabric is taken out and dried without washing. Once the fabric dries, it is dipped into a solution of gum and water.

Dabu-mud-ptinting

This helps in the color fastening. Next step is to print with mud. The mud printed areas are smeared with wood dust. This also increases the adhesive strength of the Dabu. This is a cold dyeing process where the cloth is dipped in the indigo dye solution.

Drying-fabtic

Indigo is a highly revered dye among the craftsmen. They believe that a cow that drinks the solution becomes stronger and that if they eat with Indigo-stained hands, there won’t be any problems with the food or digestion. They say that Indigo has the power to turn anything

natural. Wearing Indigo dyed fabric is thereby considered auspicious.

Craftsmen-nandna-tarapur

Master craftsmen Shri Purshottam Jharia says; “The process of making Nandana is very time-consuming. It takes around a month to complete one lot of fabric (roughly 800 mts). Skilled workers with years of experience are required to carry about the processes. Many traditional methods of Nandana printing have been forgone because of their labor-intensive nature. The designs and patterns keep varying and are retained according to the market demands, which are not that particular about the manner of printing anymore.”

Craftsmen
Made by Designed by Gaatha Handicrafts.
Returns and Exchange
Note ♦ The items in this category are non refundable ♦ The products in this category is handmade. ♦ The product is only eligible for a refund in the case of damage or defect and need to inform us with in 24 hours of delivery.
Material
Made of 100 % Cotton with Hand Block Printed and dyed in natural color
Instruction
About Sizes - The Skirt is 40 inch wide at waist. - The Length of the skirt is about 35 inch - The Flair of Skirt is 136 inch ( Approx 3.5 Mtr.) - As the product is handmade and every piece is unique, expect minute variation from shown size and shape.

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I first ordered one brass kitchen set and other home decor products from Gaatha and the quality was extremely good. Thank you Gaatha

Aparichita Sen

So delighted to find the Gaatha shop filled with a treasure trove of handcrafted products! The shopping experience was smooth and I received the Ajrakh saree that I had ordered in less than a week. Loved the saree and look forward to more shopping with you. God bless

Kalpana Padhi Das

I just received my two scarfs. I love them, so beautiful. Now I know where to order my Christmas gifts. Thank you very much.

J. Vogt

I have always had profound love for Indian handicraft and I have decorated my house with such items which is when I first found Gaatha and have been coming back to them since. Very responsive and the quality is always amazing

Bhavik Mehta

Everytime I buy a saree from you guys, everyone keeps asking me where I get them from. It makes for a great gift as well... so creative and artistic, fabrics feel great

Archita Nair

I received my saree today. The folks at Gaatha were very responsive when I had some questions before placing the order. The saree is absolutely beautiful! In fact it is so much more pretty in person. The cotton is soft to touch and drapes likes a dream. Very pleased with my purchase!

Meenu Devrani

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