Chay Root Dye

Chay root dye, a natural red colourant, originates from the chay plant (Oldenlandia umbellata). This plant is native to specific regions including Bengal, Puri in Odisha, Golconda in Telangana, the banks of the Krishna delta in Andhra Pradesh, and northern Sri Lanka. The dye's primary historical use dates back to at least the seventeenth century, mainly in the southern Indian states of Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu on fabrics like kalamkari and chintz.

Accounts from European travellers during the seventeenth century onward provide historical insight into chay cultivation and dyeing. These accounts detail efforts to learn about Indian methods of extracting and applying the dye for use in their home countries. Chay root was extensively cultivated in Sri Lanka under Dutch and British colonial rule, often involving bonded labour by members of the Verkuthi caste.

The red colour of the dye comes from alizarin found in the chay root's bark. By boiling the root in water with an alkali, the alizarin is extracted and the solution turns red. Prior to dyeing, the fabric is treated with a mordant solution, usually alum, in accordance with the intended design. After immersion in the dyebath, the cloth is removed, excess dye is rinsed off, and only the mordant-treated areas retain the red hue. In cases where designs incorporate dyes not requiring mordants, like indigo, an extra step of wax resist is added.

With the advent of aniline dyes in the late nineteenth century, chay and other natural dyes were quickly supplanted by synthetic alternatives. Although natural dyes are experiencing a modest resurgence today, synthetic dyes still dominate the global market.