Famous Hand Work of South India - The Pen Art of the Kalamkari

One of the most traditional art forms on India, Kalamkari sarees is noted for its extraordinary vibrant paintings on fabric. The art that literally means art with pen, kalamkari artists use special pens made out of bamboos, crafted specially for this art form. The resultant is a sprout of bold colors and patterns that ooze out vibrancy and zest.

History of Kalamkari Art:

The bold motifs that are vibrant and full of life in free hand are the hallmark of kalamkari art. The colors used in this art-form are all natural dyes extracted from natural products. The story goes that around 13th to 19th century in Andhra Pradesh, there was a troupe of singers, painters and musicians called Chittrakattis who moved from one village to another depicting stories from ancient Mythology in the form of street plays. As they became better and better with their story telling, they figured newer ways of telling story like staging large bolts of canvas painted on the spot using colors extracted from plants and flowers. This slowly evolved into large intricate canvas paintings exhibited in temples illustrating episodes from the great epics. Soon the kalamkari art flourished but the art saw its culmination during the reign of the Mugal rulers and the Sultan of Hyderabad who appreciated the art and patronized it. They began calling the artisans of Kalamkari as ‘Qualamkars’ from where the art got its name.

Kalamkari Art Speciality:

The most unique feature of Kalamkari art form is that till date only natural and vegetable dyes are used in their making. It is broadly classified into two styles: Machlipatnam style and Srikalahasti style. While the Machlipatnam style involves block printing of designs, Srikalahasti style is more free hand drawing using the pen and further filling of colors. A slow and vigorous process that is painstakingly done to perfection, Kalamkari sarees are created in seventeen elaborate steps. The good quality of the fabric and that of the colors ensure these colors do not run off. The glossy effect of the fabric is obtained by soaking the fabric in a mixture of resins and cow milk for atleast an hour before beginning the entire process. Various color effects are achieved from various combinations of extracts from a variety of seeds, flowers and plants. The cloth is washed after every single application of dye. The design of Kalamkari exhibit bold outlines and are done using iron fillings and molasses.

The other specialty of Kalamkari sarees is that they follow a color theme to maintain uniformity. For eg:- Women figurines are always depicted in yellow, Gods in blue and demons in red and green. The background is generally red with lotus motifs inscribed on them. The most common themes followed in Kalamkari are depiction of sun chariots, gods, goddesses, demons and characters and scenes from the great epics Ramayana and Mahabharata. While machlipatnam style adorn home furnishing like curtains and covers due to uniformity, free styled designs of Srikalahasti are popular among drapes of saree and dress materials.

Ankur Modi is a Social Media Consultant and Blogger. I love to write on Handloom textile industry. Follow me to get updates on Indian Handloom Sarees