An Art Celebrating Hindu Mythology
This is my seventh article in my series of Indian Crafts that are unparalleled and the artist of these should be celebrated. The art of Kalamkari is native to Andhra Pradesh; the two popular centers are the Sri-Kalahasti and the Machchalipatnam. Andhra Pradesh is located on the eastern coast of India. Kalamkari is a sustainable, handcrafted beautiful legacy of the coastal state.
What is Kalamkari? 
Kalamkari is made with two word ‘kalam’ which means pen and ‘Kari’ which means art. It is a style of fabric printing, in which cotton fabric is printed and dyed manually by using a pen or a hand block. The art adopts the sustainable practice of using natural dyes extracted from flowers and vegetables. The designs are very detailed and a special bamboo pen is used to draw them.
The art of Kalamkari goes back to the thirteenth century when according to regional sources there was a class of performers staging the religious epics. They are locally called chitrakattis; as they were mobile performer narrating Hindu mythologies; when their art acquired a sedentary form they decorated their stage with large canvases of prints narrating their stage performances. Soon the art made inroads into temple décor with kalamkari panels depicting Hindu mythology. During the medieval Indian period, the art received patronage from the Golconda Sultanate of the time. The Mughals too were greatly influenced by it and patronized these artists by awarding them the epithet of ‘Qualamkars’. Even during the British rule in India; Kalamkari was an important commodity for exchange. The international demand for kalamkari was so enormous that it was used as a currency.
The Two Famous Kalamkari Forms.
The Sri-Kalahasti Kalamkari:-
Srikalahasti is located in chittor district of Andhra Pradesh; it is located very close to the fresh water source. The Sri-Kalahasti kalamkari is famous for its emphasis on Hindu Mythology and Epics. The craftsmen in Kalahasti employ the ancient technique of this painting. A unique attribute of this form of Kalamkari is the freehand drawing. The artist draws designs on the fabric with black outlines for the illustrations, such an outline called ‘kasami'. The easy availability of water has proved conducive to the development of this art. The Sri-Kalahasti form of Kalamkari has received geographical Indication by the government for its geographical origin and production. The genesis of Kalahasti form of art is in the era of the great Vijayanagara empire.
The black dye used is made from myrobalan, which is a vegetable dye. Two different type pen are used; one to draw outline while the other to fill colors. The mordant used in dyeing is Alum.
The Machilipatnam Kalamkari:-
The Machilipatnam Kalamkari is a form of block print, in which unlike the Sri-Kalahasti style the pen is not used. The blocks used are hand-carved. They use themes that consist of the mundane styles ranging from flora fauna to contemporary fabric styling.
The Kalamkari too has gone through its dark days; this historical art faced serious industrial challenges from the paucity of raw material to the labor shortage. The state government has taken several steps to revive and promote this art. Today in Tirumala, there is an institute offering courses in Kalamkari.
These Indian crafts are significant for the amount of manual work they entail. Every piece of Kalamkari is handmade by an artist; thus every design is exquisite. The close tie with religion and use of all handmade tools is what makes it a unique art. .
In contemporary fashion styles, this brings a pinch of culture into the trend.
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http://kalamkari.org/
https://fashionbuzzer.com
https://www.swadesi.com