#sindh

Striped Hyena (Hyaena hyaena), family Hyaenidae, order Carnivora, Sindh, Pakistan

Sindhu (Saindhava) Ragaputra of Shri Raga, from a Ragamala, Northern India, Pahari kingdoms, c. 1680–90. Cleveland Museum of Art (ID: 2018.90) The hero launches into the saddle with vigor, as he embarks on a journey to meet his lover. He has tucked one end of his coat into his sash, so it will not be in the way. The horse’s mouth opens in a whinny, aligning with a poem that forms the basis of this image.

Once part of a large series in the Mandi royal library, it is now widely dispersed. The name refers to the coastal region of Sindh in present-day Pakistan. The scene evokes the music of Sindh, which is well known for expressing emotional anguish of separation. (Cleveland Museum of Art)

Rogan is an technique of cloth printing practiced in the Gujarat, Peshawar and Sindh regions of India and Pakistan. The word rogan has roots in both Persian and Sanskrit, meaning oil. In this craft, paint is made from boiled castor oil or linseed oil and vegetable dyes is laid down on fabric using a stylus.

The process of applying this oil based paint to fabric was developed among the Khatri community in Gujarat and the techniques of preparing and applying dyes was passed down in the family. As rogan printed cloth tended to be less expensive than other heavily embroidered garments but could still produce the illusion of embroidery, it was the wedding garment of choice for women from poorer families. The craft nearly died out in the late 20th century with the availability of cheaper and machine-made textiles. However, it is currently being revived mostly due to the efforts of the artist Abdulgafur Khatri and his family, who work tirelessly to spread awareness about Rogan art and teach it to young people, mostly young women from poor families in order to empower them by providing a means of livelihood as well as keeping the art of rogan alive.

Boy's jacket of silk embroidered in silk, Sindh, 19th century

Inktober Day 22 : Button

Medium : Digital Ink, G Pen

Sindhi Gaj paired with an Ajrakh. There are buttons in the embroidery but you will have to where's waldo them a little. Can you find all 9 buttons in the picture?

This Inktober, I'm planning on using the prompts to explore South Asia's folk traditions!

All Inktober 2025 posts

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