Andhra Kalam-Kari
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Kalam-Kari an ancient style of hand painting and printing originating from Andhra Pradesh, and its modern uses.
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Situated in the south-eastern part of our country, Andhra Pradesh is the 8th largest state of India. On 2nd June 2014, the state was split into two parts, Andhra and Telangana. Hyderabad, which was the capital of Andhra Pradesh now serves as the capital of both the states but for not more than 10 years, in accordance to an act. The state is constructed of two regions, Coastal Andhra which runs along the Bay of Bengal and Rayalaseema in the inland southwestern part of the state.
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Andhra is a land of diverse arts and crafts. Every nook and corner of the state specializes in a variety of exclusive & unique art forms and portrays the genius of the craftsmen. They have undoubtedly carved a place for themselves in the world. These skills have been handed down since generations and unravel themselves in a variety of products, combining aesthetic appeal and utilitarian value, while adjusting to the current scenario and demands. The traditions and heritage are reflected in the end products. One such art form is Kalamkari. It is the craft of block printed and hand painted fabrics. The name is derived from Kalam/pen, which is a pointed pierced bamboo stick which regulates the colour flow on the fabric, due to which the patterns are traced. As research goes by Kalamkari is popular and exclusively found in the Srikalahasti and Machilipatnam areas of the state. The styles of both these areas differ from each other. Artisans in Srikalahasti use the kalam/pen as mentioned above to trace/fill in colours (paintings) while artisans in the latter mentioned area use wooden blocks for printing(fabrics).
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The kalamkari block printed fabric is available in numerous varieties in Shanker market in the heart of the city Delhi, Connaught place. There are 3 shops located at walkable distance from each other which stock this art form. The first one would be Joyce International Handloom House, then Gamthi, and Hunar. While in conversation with the owner/shopkeeper at Joyce we got to know that “the dyes used for painting or printing are vegetable dyes meaning natural colours; there is absolutely no use of chemicals”. Which means that this art form is eco-friendly as well. He also told us that “ items like anar, ganadak neela,thota and keekar are used to extract colours”. Conversations with the managers/assistants of the other two shops also yielded in the same information as above. Since this is done on cotton, it is immensely popular during the summer season, as it is light weight and is available in various colours and prints.
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Price: -
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Joyce – Rs 250 per meter (100% cotton)
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Gamthi – Rs 350 per meter (the cheaper variety), Rs 1200 per meter (original authentic stuff) (100 % cotton)
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Hunar – Rs 200 – 350 per meter (80-85% cotton)
Where to buy: - Joyce International Handloom House, Gamthi, Hunar
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Located: - Shop No. 49, Shankar Market; Shop No. 47, Shankar Market; Shop No. 50, Shankar Market
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Nearest Metro Station: - Rajiv Chowk
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Contributed by: - Aditi Arora
