Origin & History:
Kalamkari (from kalam = pen, kari = craftsmanship) is a 3000-year-old Indian art form of hand-painting or block-printing on fabric using natural dyes. It has roots in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, evolving under Mughal and Golconda Sultanate patronage.
There are two main styles:
· Srikalahasti style: Freehand drawing using a pen
· Machilipatnam style: Block-printed designs with intricate detailing
Historically, Kalamkari was used for temple backdrops, scrolls (pattachitras), and village storytelling.
Artisan Communities:
Balija community in Srikalahasti, Andhra Pradesh. Padmashali weavers and Chitrakars in Machilipatnam. Andhra Pradesh. Chippa community in Telangana also engage in block-printed variants
Geographic Spread:
Srikalahasti, Tirupati, and Machilipatnam in Andhra Pradesh. Some variants are practiced in Telangana and adjacent regions of Tamil Nadu
Technique & Process:
Srikalahasti Style (Hand-painted):
1. Fabric Preparation: Bleaching in cow dung, then treating with myrobalan solution
2. Drawing: Outlines sketched using a bamboo kalam (pen) dipped in fermented jaggery and iron solution (black dye)
3. Filling Colors: Natural dyes made from pomegranate rinds, madder root, indigo, turmeric, and alizarin
4. Washing & Fixing: Multiple rounds of sun-drying, washing, and boiling to fix colors.
Machilipatnam Style (Block-printed):
- Block Printing: Hand-carved wooden blocks used to print motifs
- Dyeing: Traditional vegetable dyes used
- Resist Printing: Wax or mud used to resist dyes for multi-color layers.
Materials & Motifs:
- Fabric: Cotton, mangalgiri cotton, silk, chanderi
- Dyes: All natural: indigo, myrobalan, madder, alum, tamarind seed
- Motifs: Mythological scenes: Ramayana, Mahabharata, Krishna Leela. Floral creepers, lotus, peacocks, elephants, yalis. Persian-influenced patterns in Machilipatnam style.
Notable Brands & Use:
- Kalamkaari by Gaurang Shah: Luxury Kalamkari sarees and dupattas
- Teej Studio: Fusion kalamkari dresses and blouses
- Craftroots, Gaatha, and Malkha: Contemporary Kalamkari home decor
- Extensively used in handloom sarees, wall hangings, kurta fabrics, and narrative textiles
Cultural Significance:
Kalamkari represents a sacred storytelling tradition, once used by temple singers and chitrakars to depict epics on cloth scrolls. Today, it embodies the fusion of visual art and textile and is cherished for its environmental sustainability and mythic heritage.