Duggarpedia

In rural Jammu before 1947 were the Shapaya, Muslim artisan families skilled in the batik dyeing tradition, who lived alongside local weavers a craft that has all but vanished. Origins & Craftsmanship In rural Dogra villages, before the partition in 1947, there once thrived modest batik dyeing traditions served by Shapaya weaver families mostly Muslim artisans living side by side with Dogra communities. Their craft involved resist batik, These Shapaya families practiced resist-dye batik, using wax to create designs before dyeing cloth most often on local cotton. Brought into Jammu to work after cotton harvests, they temporarily set up dyeing hubs/industry in villages accustomed to handloom culture. A story of a Women from the weaver family In village Bhaddu before partition, a Shapaya woman a Muslim artisan skilled in batik dyeing worked beside her Dogra neighbors as seasons passed. Every harvest, she set up her dye pit behind the courtyard, transforming cotton into vibrant cloth f...