Traditional Rogan art by Sumer Gafoor Khatri of Kutch, Gujarat

From the archive record

The painter takes a small amount of the paint and works it into a pliable paste on his palm around the stylus used for application. The paint is then carefully trailed over the fabric to create the design. Rogan art hails from the land of Persia that was brought to Kutch around 400 hundred years ago and is now only pursued by this lone family of Khatris, residing in a small village of Nirona, 20 kms from Bhuj, Gujarat. Sumer Gafoor Khatri is representing the 7th generation in this art. Rogan printing is an art of cloth printing practiced in the Kutch District of Gujarat. Rogan printing involves using a thick bright paste to paint on plain cloth. The paste is prepared by boiling the oil of safflower, castor or linseed and pouring it into water. This paste is mixed with chalk, coloured pigme