Kalamkari – Dazzling fine depictions on fine handloom sarees

Category: Fashion

Kalamkari sarees are designed at pedana, near by machilipatnam, Krishna district, Andhra Pradesh. It is a hand painted, block printed cotton textile. Kalamkari sarees are famed to be handloom painted cotton sarees all over India. Kalamkari is from kalam (pen) and Kari (craftsmanship) words taken from the parsian for the art of hand painting done on the fabrics with the use of a pen and extended to include block printing. Kalamkari sarees are two distinctive styles in India, one is Srikalahasti, another is machilipatnam styles. Srikalahasti style of Kalamkari, where in the kalam or pen is used for free hand drawing of the subject and filling in the colors, is entirely hand worked. This style flowed around temples and their patronage and so had an almost religious identity- scrolls, temple hangings, chariot banners. And other machilipatnam style that came with an Islamic slant, had subjects of painting mostly depicting flora and fauna, aith floral designs as a backdrop on the fabric. Both styles that have popularized Kalamkari hae one thing in common- the depictions are fine and neatly drawn, there is extensive use of organic colors which are fast, there is no dilution in the skill and quality over the years. Today’s Kalamkari has both these styles merged into one with different facets within the art.