Contemporary Production and Transmission of Resist-dyed and Block-printed Textiles in Kachchh District, Gujarat

Abstract

This article analyzes the contemporary production and trade of resist-dyed and block-printed textiles in Kachchh district, Gujarat. The hereditary craft is dominated by the Khatris, who are renowned for the production of fine tie-dyed textiles; batik, or wax-resist textiles; and resist-printed and mordant-dyed textiles that feature the use of natural dyes. Traditionally, these textiles were used for caste dress by the farming and herding castes of Kachchh and played an important role in establishing the distinctive sartorial identity of each community. This is still the basis of local trade but increasingly items originally produced for apparel, transported to a different social context—either in the major cities of India, or overseas—have been transformed into soft furnishings and fashion accessories.Contemporary patterns of trade reflect a plethora of influences: the social upheaval that followed Independence in 1947; state interventions; tourism; and, inevitably, industrialization and the impact of new technologies. These diverse influences and the response of individual Khatris will be explored in the course of this article.