Kala Cotton of Kachchh is the original pure Old World cotton of India. Kala Cotton Initiative encourages sustainable cotton textile production and the preservation of agricultural and artisan livelihoods in Kachchh.

Why Kala Cotton?
Kachchh has experienced rapid industrialization since the 2001 earthquake. While the impact of big industry has its positives, it has adversely impacted cultural livelihoods and their endurance is now shrouded in uncertainty. The number of weavers in Kachchh has declined from over 2000 in the mid-1990s to only 600-700 in practice today. Small-scale weavers cannot buy raw materials in bulk and face the greatest difficulties in integrating with changing markets. There was a clear need to develop a local value chain in order to insulate these weavers from external market fluctuations. To do this, the raw material was required that was locally grown, environmentally friendly, that had the potential to create social value.

Kala cotton is indigenous to Kachchh and by default organic, as the farmers do not use any pesticides and synthetic fertilizers. It is a purely rain-fed crop that has a high tolerance for both disease and pests and requires minimal investment. It is both resilient and resurgent in the face of stressful land conditions

Kala means ‘black’ in some Indian languages, often leading to the misconception that Kala cotton is black in colour, whereas it actually refers to the empty boll after extraction of the cotton fibre. Kala cotton has specific characteristics. This indigenous strain of cotton is genetically pure, which differentiates from the genetically modified Bt cotton. Kala cotton is hardy and resilient even under harsh weather conditions. Completely rain-fed and growing naturally even in the arid, drought-prone areas of Kutch, where there is less than 40 cm of rainfall, its high drought tolerance imposes minimal or no demand on scarce water resources, which makes it extremely water efficient.

Irrigation requires electrical or diesel energy to lift and supply water; manufacturing and transporting chemical fertiliser requires energy and produces greenhouse gases after usage; the use of pesticides poisons the environment, soil and water. For the most part, This cotton is grown without the use of irrigation, chemical fertilisers and pesticides, which makes its ecological footprint much lower as compared to other varieties of cotton. This is the reason that Kala cotton is considered to be among the most energy-efficient and carbon neutral crops in the world; more so in the present conditions of water scarcity in India.The trepidation about global warming and possible desertification also raises the present-day relevance of Kala-cotton.

According to the Vision 2030 report published by Nagpur-based Central Institute for Cotton Research in 2011, about half the cotton growing areas in Gujarat are irrigated. The rain-fed Kala cotton continues to be grown in the Rapar and Bhachau taluka of Kutch as these areas suffer from water scarcity and irrigated farming has not yet reached them.

Traditionally, Ajrak is the name of a block printed cloth with deep crimson red and indigo blue background, bearing symmetrical patterns with interspersed unprinted sparkling white motifs. An ancient craft, the history of the Ajrak can be traced back to the civilizations of the Indus Valley that existed around 2500 BC-1500 BC.

Ajrakh cloth carries many meanings. The popular story amongst local printers is that Ajrakh means “keep it today.” It is also linked to azrakh, the Arabic word for indigo, a blue plant that thrived in the arid ecology of Kachchh until the 1956 earthquake. Ajrakh patterns use complex geometry to create starry constellations in indigo, madder, black, and white across lengths of cloth. The shapes and motifs of Ajrakh echo the architectural forms of Islamic architecture’s intricate jali windows and trefoil arches.

After the partition of India, the production of Ajrak was carried out in Kutch, Rajasthan, and Gujarat which was once the easternmost portions of Sindh. The names and Patterns are fairly similar to those found in Sindh. There are no indications of different Traditions developing in terms of patterns used, as the influence of the Sindhi culture is still very strong in Gujarat and parts of Rajasthan. Block printing is an ancient Indian textile tradition. Cloth with block printing has been found dated back as early as 2000BC. Today this cultural tradition has been kept alive in villages Block printing represents a craft that provides a sustainable livelihood to the local families and We are dedicated to keeping that craft a viable part of India’s village economy.
The wood-blocks are hand-carved in elaborate designs; each colour is printed with a different block to complete the motif. A high degree of skill is required for both the placement of motifs and the application of pressure. Altogether there can be as many as 16 blocks to create a 5 colour design. A set of blocks can be used to print on average 1500-2000met of fabric. Colours used for printing are derived from non-toxic chemicals, minerals, and vegetable origin. Chemical dyes have replaced vegetable pigments to withstand present-day washing care and colourfast requirements. A block printed cloth reflects the touch of the human hand, the sensibility, and skill of the craftsman; every piece unique.

Each piece of fabric is hand-dyed, block-printed, and finished at Real Handicrafts Ajrakhpur, Kutch-Gujarat, India by grass-roots artisans using skills and techniques passed down through the generations.

Ajrakh Block printing undergoes various stages of process of printing and dyeing. The selected cream (any light color) cotton fabric is soaked in water for overnight and lashed with the wooden beater (bat shape wood) in the flowing water to remove the starch content and impurities in the fabric.