All about Kalamkari Sarees

Kalamkari is the style of hand painting or block printing on cotton textile. The traditional Andhra style saree, is typically made from cotton, and is famed for the vibrant floral and mythological designs that seem to tell a story on the fabric. The name itself originates from the Persian words Qalam, meaning pen, and Kari, meaning craftsmanship.
 
Sarees are making a comeback and e-commerce has been quick to react. With the option to buy different sarees including Kalamkari sarees online, women have started, once again, to embrace these beautiful garments. The monumental increase in Kalamkari sarees online shopping bodes the question: Do you know all there is to know about the special art of Kalamkari?
 
The Kalamkari saree is of course a traditional Andhra style saree, typically of cotton. These sarees have long been famed for the most vibrant depiction of floral and mythological designs that use natural dyes, in simple palettes. The aanchals of these sarees generally shoe large motifs in ornate scenes. However, Kalamkari is no longer limited to sarees. These days, a lot of fashion designers have also started imbibing this age old art into their modern outfits as well. Usually, Kalamkari has been used to depict scenes from Hindu epics like the Mahabharata and the Ramayana. However, recent applications have also seen Buddha and the Buddhist art forms depicted through Kalamkari.
 
The origin of the word
 
For decades, Indian craftsmen have embedded their various arts into sarees. One such ancient art is called Kalamkari, a traditional and beautiful way of painting. The word Kalamkari is made of two words – kalam and kari. Kalam is a Persian word, meaning pen and Kari simply means craftsmanship. Kalamkari, hence, means drawing with a pen.
 
How it came to be
 
In the simplest of terms, Kalamkari was born from storytelling. In olden, ancient times, groups of painters, musicians, and singers, called chitrakattis, used to travel from one village to another, and would tell stories of Hindu mythology to the villagers. Some people began drawing these stories on canvas. These stories included extracts from the Ramayana, the Mahabharata, the Panch Tantras, and some other well-known stories as well. To illustrate these stories, people started drawing, and the art of Kalamkari was born.
 
The original technique
 
The first step that was followed in the creation of Kalamkari sarees was the stiffening of the cloth, achieved by seeping the cloth with astringents and buffalo milk and then letting it dry in the sun.
 
Then, the darker portions of the design (blacks, browns, and violets) are outlined with some mordant and the cloth placed in a bath of alizarin. Except for the parts that are to be blue, the rest of the cloth is covered with wax and dipped in indigo dye. The lax is then removed and the rest of the cloth is painted by hand.
 
If the artists wish to create contours in the design, bamboo or date palm sticks (pointed at one end) are used. Fine hair is attached to the pointed end to serve as a pen. This contraption is then soaked in a mixture of water and fermented jaggery, and then in vegetable dyes.
 
Millions of artisans today in India are engaged in the production of these handloom sarees. Kalamkari sarees have been known as one of the richest and most elegant choices for all saree lovers. The age old art of Kalamkari has become even more beautiful after being embedded into the handloom production of sarees.