Apparel July 2019 Apparel July 2019 issue | Page 173

Foundation
FEATURE
HISTORICAL RESONANCES
As the British rulers realised that the sale of natural indigo brought
in returns, farmers were forced to grow indigo for the purpose of
export. Seeing their predicament, Gandhiji took up this cause in
1917, which resulted in the Champaran Satyagraha, regarded as
the first Satyagraha or non-violent resistance movement
for independence.
Well into the 21st century, the beauty of the plant, its ability to
provide numerous shades, the magical transformation of a green
leaf into blue hues, the emotive association of indigo with India’s
freedom struggle, and the fact that is a plant-based natural dye and
is not harmful on the skin or environment—and that its production
involves the hands and skills of artisans—has seen a resurgence of
the dye.
This has led to artisans and designers increasingly working with
natural indigo dyes. Customers, too, are asking for garments dyed
with natural indigo or designed with motifs, prints, and embroideries
worked with the same. The dye is produced in different places
across the country, such as Kutch, Uttarakhand, Puducherry, West
Bengal, and Andhra Pradesh. There is also a growing interest in
the dye internationally, and it is sourced from locally grown plants in
different parts of the world.
OF SACREDNESS AND INTRIGUE
Artisans who have specialised in natural dyes say that natural
indigo has very interesting, sacred, and mysterious qualities. This
is because unlike other natural dyes, indigo does not require a
mordant to bind it to the yarn or cloth being dyed. The dye is not
soluble in water, and apart from colouring the yarn/cloth, it also
coats it, thus adding to its thickness. Further, due to the unusual
series of chemical reactions taking place during the dyeing process,
the dyer does not know the shade of indigo that will be obtained
while and after immersing the yarn/cloth in the vat with the dye.
ARTISANS WHO HAVE SPECIALISED
IN NATURAL DYES SAY THAT
NATURAL INDIGO HAS VERY
INTERESTING, SACRED, AND
MYSTERIOUS QUALITIES.
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