KARACHI: Mohammad Asim carefully ties cellulose tape around the centre of a cream colour netted dupatta as the water in the pot in front heats on Saturday. Simultaneously, he selects the colours in little bottles next to him to get the desired shade of purple, the same as the little flowers on the cream colour folded suit shirt lying on another table on his left.

As the water boils the colour is added and one side of the dupatta dipped into it several times until it is just the right colour. Then for the other end, which is supposed to be pickle green, he throws away the steaming purple water to put on a fresh pot. The same exercise is repeated but for creating a pickle green for that side of the dupatta to be dipped into it.

All done he then steps outside the little shop, gesturing to another colleague to join him as his nimble fingers quickly take off the tape. The colleague then holds two corners of one side and Asim takes the other corners of the opposite side to hold up the dupatta against the wind for it to dry. It’s come out as a pretty diagonal broad striped design, which matches the shirt with purple flowers and green leaves on a cream background rather well.

In a narrow street behind Jama Cloth Market, there is a row of dupatta dyers known as rangsaaz. Most of them specialise in dyeing dupatta though other clothing can also be dyed the same way.

Mohammad Raja, the owner of one such shop here, says people bring them pieces of clothing to dye the year round though around Eid is their busiest time. “But this Eid seems rather slow as we are not getting too much work. Perhaps inflation is the cause. Women who used to bring us three dupattas, now bring only one,” he says.

“Dupatta shops usually keep a choice of dupattas in different colours. But if you want two or three tones, you can have them dyed. And if the water is the right temperature of hot, the colours will be fast. They won’t wash away,” he says, adding that one colour costs Rs100 and two or three colours would be Rs200 and Rs300, respectfully.

“Also some colours are difficult and may not be the correct shade desired by you, such as different shades of pink, magenta, turquoise, cerulean, etc. So people prefer to buy white and then have them dyed according to what they need.”

Published in Dawn, July 3rd, 2016