The Hindu Business Line : Joyous blue

Cleopatra wore indigo-dyed cloth, as did the Romans. The Indus Valley civilisation used it too. Indigo has been a treasured, time-honoured commodity. Its very intrinsic purity ensures its value — its unique deep-blue colour ensures its unfailing attraction.

The `indigofera' plant, from which the dye is got, is indigenous to India. Long years ago, the indigo was carried by Arab dhows into Europe, where the elitists bought it up eagerly.

Today indigo is also manufactured chemically and this is much cheaper and easier to produce. Nevertheless, it is the original vegetable dye that commands high price and esteem. Undoubtedly it is the extraordinary labour process involved that makes the plant dye so special.

A large amount of fresh indigo leaves are gathered in huge pits, weighed down using wooden poles, and soaked in water. The leaves are left thus out in the open. Later, a group of three to four men stamp on the water-soaked leaves continuously for many painful hours. The stamping is done rhythmically and soon the men are covered head to toe in the dye. The water, which is green to start with, slowly turns into the rich blue of indigo, and the dye is now ready to be processed into dried cakes. All the workers have permanent dye stains on their person.

Fortunately the dye is harmless. Indeed, the ancient world used it in medicines and cosmetics. Ayurveda treated various disorders of the lungs, spleen and kidneys, and even ulcers and greying hair using indigo. Along with India, it was Africa that made maximum use of indigo in its fabrics. The fantastic indigo-blue prints are in use even today. The East has sarongs, shirts, scarves and blouses in indigo, embellished with plant seeds, beads and so on.

The manufacture and use of indigo requires absolute dedication and patience. Jesus Ciriza has both; he's a Spanish man living in Auroville, Puducherry, who has created the successful brand `Colours of Nature' that uses only vegetable dyes, chief of which is indigo. He has 50 people working for him. Procuring the dye cake from Tiruvannamalai, the entire fabric dyeing, printing, embroidery and tailoring is done at his unit in Auroville.