Ajanta - Its Textile Heritage

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Paintings of Ajanta Caves(2nd century BC to
6th century AD)Textile Heritage of Ajantaby
Bhushavali (selvi.n.bhushavali_at_gmail.com)Swami
nathan(sswami99_at_gmail.com)
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Ajanta a storehouse of information about the
period costumes textile design jewellery mu
sical instruments social order court etiquette
ideas of beauty, and customs
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Ajanta Its Textile Heritage
A study by Bhushavali. N B.Des (Textile) -
NIFT Under the guidance of S. Swaminathan
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Dyes, dyeing and bleaching
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Dyes
During the period of Ajanta, all dyes were
natural. The colors of the fabric shown in Ajanta
are essentially red, black and blue, their
tints, tones and shades and their combinations.
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Bleaching
Bleaching is required for absorbing any dye in
the fabric. Bleaching removes all impurities and
makes the fabric white. Natural bleaching
agents were cowdung with milk or soapnut.
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Ceiling painting (Cave 2)
Two different whites could be seen in this
garment. One brighter than the other the whiter
is bleached.
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Nalagiri (Cave 17)
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Red dye
Mordant is a substance that helps to fix the
dye to the fabric either before or after or
during the dyeing process. Red is the very
strong mordant dye called Indian Madder -
Manjishta. Manjishta roots are boiled with water
and the fabric/yarn is treated in it and
kept in it for 20 to 30 mins. Presently, alum
is used as the pre-mordant. Alum is powdered and
boiled in water and the fabric/yarn is immersed
in it and let to be absorbed completely. The
concentration of Alum decides the depth of color.
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Mahajanaka Jataka (Cave 1)
The garment is pale maroonish, perhaps obtained
by diluting madder dye
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A solid red blouse!
Sibi Jataka (Cave 17)
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Black dye
Black is obtained from iron rust. Black dye is a
mixture of jaggery and iron rods let to mature
and ferment for 10-20 days. Iron rusts and
becomes ferric oxide. Black requires a tannin
agent, and it is Myrobalan (tender
kadukkai), which is ground well with milk
especially buffallos milk into a
paste. Fabric is soaked in this paste and
myrobalan is gets absorbed.
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Shankapala Jataka (Cave 1)
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Sutasoma Jataka (Cave 17)
Garment is grey, a tone of black, obtained by
diluting iron rust mixture.
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Blue dye
Indigo is used for blue. It is obtained by
fermenting Indigo leaves and making it
oxygen-free and dyeing the fabric in this
solution in vats. The fabric is later let to dry
in atmosphere and during which it again gets
oxidized and comes out with the extremely fast
blue dye which is embedded within the structure
of the fabric.
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The blue fabric must be also a sheer fabric from
the appearance of the folds style, it must be a
sheer fabric.
Vidhurapanditha Jataka (Cave 2)
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Modern
With the advent of chemical dyes, natural dyes
have taken a back seat. But there exists a
eco-conscious market for natural dyes.
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Kalamkari
Also some traditional textiles that survive like
Kalamkari, ayurvedic dyes etc. Traditional hand
block printing techniques all over India like
Machilipatam, Sanganer, Bagru etc still use
natural dyes.
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Yarn manipulation
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Sectional warping
The stripes and checks are the outcome of
sectional warping process. where yarn is warped
in sections of colours. Checked fabrics are
created by with different coloured weft yarns
while weaving.
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Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara (Cave 1)
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Champeyya Jataka (Cave 1)
Care is taken to show concentration of colour in
regions where same colour of warp and weft meet
and dilution of colour in the other case
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Modern
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Ikat
Ikat is the process of designing the fabric even
before weaving. It is created by tying and dyeing
the yarn after warping but before weaving. Its a
very complicated process where the design and
colours of the final fabric are decided before
weaving and are dyed accordingly. In double ikat,
both warp and weft are patterned and it is
carefully aligned during weaving.
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Shankapala Jataka (Cave 1)
Seen here is Bodhisattva wearing a lower
garment with stripes of ikat patterns seen on it
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Shankapala Jataka (Cave 1)
Between the stripes small checkered patterns are
seen which appears like double ikat!!!
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Mahajanaka Jataka (Cave 1)
The queen is draped in a lower garment, striped
with ikat at regular intervals
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Modern
Available as Sambalpuri in Orissa, Pochampally in
Andhra Paradesh and Patan Patola in Gujarat in
Handloom sector. Also seen in the market as some
mill woven fabrics in single ikat available at
very cheap prices. Double ikat is impossible in
mill wovens.
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Ikat weaving in Orissa Winding yarn onto bobbin
for weft work
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Ikat weaving in Orissa Preparing the loom heddles
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Ikat weaving in Orissa Weaving in pitloom
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Ikat weaving in Orissa Weaving in pitloom
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Finished Ikat Saree
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Dip-dye yarn
This is the process in which the yarn bundle is
dipped in the dye stuff and then slowly removed
in steps. This creates a fantastic hue in the
base then dissolves down to a pale color as it
reaches the top, followed by the un-dipped
white. Using this yarn would create a hazed
effect on the fabric.
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Sibi Jataka (Cave 1)
Bodhisatva is wearing a fabric which is woven
with sectional warping Between the stripes The
filling is irregular, likely to be woven with
dip-dyed yarn
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Modern
Seen in both handloom and mill sectors. Wide
variety in all colors and also multi coloured
dip-dyed yarns available.
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Block print
Blocks carved with exquisite patterns. Blocks
coated with dyes, when pressed on to cloth, the
cloth gets embossed pattern on the block.
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Mahajanaka Jataka (Cave 1)
The dye used should be the extremely fast ferric
oxide obtained from iron rust.
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Modern

• Hand block printing is available all over India
  as Machipatna Kalamkari in Andhra, Bagh and Bagru
  in Madhya Pradesh, and Sanganer in Rajasthan etc.

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Bandhani
Bandhani is a resist dyeing method where the
fabric is tied with a string and dyed. This
process creates ring shaped pattern on the
fabric, whose size may differ in accordance
to the size of the object used to create the
knots. Objects from needle to create micro-sized
ring to little grain that creates fairly larger
rings. A pattern is drawn on the fabric and these
knots are made to follow that pattern thus
creating the final look.
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Mahajanaka Jataka (Cave 1)
Two in the gathering are wearing garments which
cover the entire body. These garments have a
dark background which has spotted design in pale
colour Within the pale spots are tiny dark spots,
which is in bandhni.
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These garments have a dark background which has
spotted design in pale colour. Within the pale
spots are tiny dark spots, which is in bandhni.
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Discharge print
Discharge printing is the process of printing a
dyed fabric with a corrosive material to
remove or discharge the dye and to create the
design It is not certain whether this method
existed during the Ajanta period. But from the
paintings it looks that some fabric could have
been discharge printed. In the present day
bleaching agents are used as the corrosive
material.
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Mahajanaka Jataka (Cave 1)
This has a dark background with pale spots but
this is not bandhni, But could be discharge
printing.
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Modern
Several options available in the market. Negative
printing, that is, printing the background
and Leaving the image area white, may also be
used to get the same effect.
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Khadi print
Khadi print is also called gold/silver print or
metallic print It is created by printing the
fabric with an adhesive and then applying a sheet
of filament on top of it and peeling off the
unstuck areas. The sheet of filament are similar
to the varakh which is seen as a decoration on
several mithai sweets. These are original gold or
silver metal that is beaten up as an extremely
fine sheet.
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Seated Buddha (Cave 2)
Back rest - Pale spots on dark background Discharg
e print or is it Khadi print.?
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Modern
Though original Gold or silver foil is not used,
fabrics are printed with golden and silver
coloured powders and pigments to achieve similar
effect at much cheaper prices.
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Fine muslin sheer fabric
Fine Dhaka Muslin has its own lore and legends
attached to it. That several layers of that
extremely fine muslin still looks
transparent. That fine count and fine weave is a
long lost treasure now. Did the women depicted in
Ajanta wear that fine muslin, as most of the
women are bare-top and men are fully covered.?
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Vidhurapanditha Jataka (Cave 2)
The women on either sides are adorned with a
single ikat fabrics while the one at the centre
has a specific double ikat portion too. Again
they seem to be naked on top or wearing fine
muslin.?
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Frayed edges
Frayed edges are the seen on woven fabrics at the
edges where either warp or weft is removed at the
edge of the fabric leaving only one of the yarns
to hang loosely. This is either done on the
actual fabric itself but in this case the
strength of the main fabric itself will be lost.
Or it is done separately on another fabric and
attached to the actual fabric, to prevent any
loss of strength to the main fabric.
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Sutasoma Jataka (Cave 17)
The edging is also given in a very special way,
might be embroidery, or frayed edge knotted
together like in towels in the present day.
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Modern
In Durga pujas in most of the north Indian states
a red coloured fabric with golden frayed edges is
used as an auspicious holy fabric.
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Decorative stitch lines
Decorative stitch lines are the stitch lines that
are done for the sake of decoration and not for
functional purpose. Sometimes, certain stitches
may serve both the purposes.
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Hamsa Jataka (Cave 17)
This is a stitched garment and depicted with
stitch lines.
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The neck line has a special double stitch line.
Is it for decorative purposes?
The shawl above is a sheer fabric that is draped
The hemline of the garment is at thigh level like
several others in Ajanta, except the clown in
Cave I
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Modern
Decorative stitch lines are used in many garments
like jean pockets, around necklines, and in
accessories like shoes, bags etc.
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Applique patchwork
Appliqué is the process of applying a
decoratively cut fabric on top of the main fabric
purely for decorative purposes. Patchwork is the
process of patching several bits of fabrics to
form the main fabric itself. This may be done for
decorative or functional purposes. Appliqué has a
base fabric while patchwork does not have one.
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Sutasoma Jataka (Cave 17)
Here is the evidence of appliqué work.
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Modern
Several patchworks and appliqués that are manual
sewing machine stitched and some handworks like
Orissa, Gujarat applique are also available.
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Knitting
Knitting is the process of inter-looping a single
yarn to develop the fabric unlike weaving where 2
yarns are interlaced. Knitted fabrics are
stretchable and that is the main function of it
as well.
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Ceiling Painting (Cave 2)
An example of knitting also knitting with 2
different yarns balls at the time. They knew
everything !!!
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Modern

• Knitting has grown huge scale with the advent of
  knitting machines and circular knitting machines.
• Knitted fabrics that was once meant only for
  inner wear and socks has now taken a shape as
  fashionable fabric.

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Patterns garment construction
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The usuals
The usual ways of covering the body is with a
tight skirt like garment that covers till the
knee and upper part of the body is generally left
open both for men and women. In the case of
saints a sheer fabric is draped all over the body
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Lustration (Cave 1)
The women are wearing only lower
garments. Bodhisatva is completely covered from
top to bottom in a sheer fabric
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Salwar kameez

• A Salwar is a lower garment like a trouser and
  kameez is an upper garment like a top that ends
  at almost at the knee level.
• Several variations of this are seen in the
  present day market with varying hemlines,
  different styled neckline, sleeves etc.

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Mahajanaka Jataka (Cave 1)
This dancer is clearly wearing a stitched
kurti-styled garment with an asymmetrical
hemline. The border of the center piece
is decorated by ikat. Sleeves are decorated
with bandhni Dye used is possibly Indigo Vat Dye
majorly and madder red Minorly. Isnt this an
amazing example of fashion designing?
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Ikat center piece
Bandhni sleeve
Ikat center piece
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Kaftan
A kaftan is a loose top that is almost like a
huge piece of fabric that is folded into 2 with a
cutout for neckline and armhole. Worn in
different lengths, this serves as a top, a dress
or a layering.
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Sutasoma Jataka (Cave 17)
Woman is wearing a complete garment that covers
her whole body. Its again striped, sectional
warping. The beautiful and strong red of Indian
Madder. But the garment appears stitched in a
very simple way like a kaftan.
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Modern

• Kaftan has become a very fashinable garment in
  this era.
• Its worn as a thigh length garment with leggings
  or trousers.
• Or it is worn as a ankle length dress

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Cropped top for men
Quite different from the present era, its unusual
to see cropped top on men. Cropped top is
essentially an upper garment that is till empire
line or below-the-bust line.
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Sutasoma Jataka (Cave 17)
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While one person has a bust length blouse like
garment which has a ribbon at the princess line
and he and another has a striped lower garment
like a mini skirt like garment, again
sectional warp.
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Womens blouses
Similar to the present day Indian ethnic
wear, Saree Blouses Cropped top for women (?)
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Sibi Jataka (Cave 17)
Present day blouse-like upper garment
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Bias cut
Bias-cut is cutting the fabric diagonally, that
is, 45-degree to both warp and weft. Since the
fabric is expandable in the bias, it is not as
easy as stitching a straight fabric. It requires
skill and expertise to stitch a garment in
bias. But since its a bit stretchable in the
bias, the garment drapes upon the body very well,
though not as much as a knitted garment.
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Simhala Avadana (Cave 17)
This person esp. has a very different garment,
stitched from the upper half with the fit of
sleeve and neck line.
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The lower half looks like it has a bunch of
pleats like in the new saree draping style. Or it
might be they knew to stitch with gatherings a
new revelation. Even if they had stitched with
gatherings, it seems to originate from a diagonal
seam which means they could not only handle
bias-cut fabric but do ornamentation with it as
well. Along with it he also has a fabric tied
around his waist as a belt.
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Modern
Quite a number of full length dresses are
stitched with bias cut fabric. Some skirts and
tops are also stitched in bias for decorative
purposes.
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Drapes knots
More often than not the garments were
essentially draped than stitched. The draped
garments vary from simple knots of a single
strip of fabric to complex drapes of several
yards of fabric.
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Maras episode (Cave 1)
The woman is wearing a draped garment The
knotting of the garment is shown in the back of
the woman in the back ground
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Bhikshu with lotus (Cave 2)
This is a beautiful draped garment in sheer white
fabric, with the sheerness very beautifully shown
including the folded fabric on the shoulder.
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Mahajanaka Jataka (Cave 1)
Block print Ikat Bandhni Discharge Black color
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Salwar Kameez Bandhni Ikat Khadi/discharge Fine
muslin Blue red Colours
Mahajanaka Jataka (Cave 1)
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Ceiling (Cave 2)
Knitting, Blue Color, Bleaching, Patch Work
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Tushita heaven (Cave 17)
Patchwork Head gears Fringes/embroidery Sectional
warping Red color
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Thank you