India is revered as the land of eclectic cultures, traditions, and craft. Of all the cultural tributaries, Indian handicraft has attracted and inspired travelers, designers and enthusiasts to revisit the place as well as the tradition. One such craft that remains relevant to date is Kalamkari.
Kalamkari is an ancient technique of hand painting done on cotton or silk fabric with a pen using natural dyes. The word Kalamkari literally translates to ‘kalam‘ meaning pen and ‘kari‘ , referring to craftsmanship.
The creation of kalamkari involves tedious steps such as dyeing, block printing, starching, hand painting to create a single product. Motifs drawn in Kalamkari spans from imageries of flowers, peacock, paisleys to divine characters of Hindu epics like Mahabharata and Ramayana. Nowadays, this art is primarily done to create Kalamkari sarees.
Srikalahasti and Machilipatnam in Andhra Pradesh are the two prominent centers of this craft that are functioning even today. Kalamkari artists continue to produce items of furnishings and fabrics till date to cater to the contemporary market.
Even though the industries with ever-changing innovations have diluted the art’s value, at both Srikalahasti and Machalipatnam the traditional modes of production have survived and are gaining a wider appreciation for their vibrant designs, use of natural colours and as symbols of the region’s heritage.
Kalamkari artifacts are a covetable representation of our humble culture and an heirloom piece made by hand that fills us with the nostalgia of our simple roots in a world that is stead-fasting itself into technology. Shop for Kalamkari dupattas, sarees & cushions on our website here.
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