Out of the many beautiful forms of handicrafts, the Kalamkari in Andhra Pradesh has always been favorite with the art and craft lovers. The Kalamkari craft of Andhra Pradesh involves the art of printing and painting of fabrics. This is a rare kind of art, which uses a Kalam or quill, from which it has earned its name and also vegetable dyes. It is exclusively found in the Machilipatnam and Srikalahasti areas of the state. However the areas have distinct styles of their own. While artists in Machilipatnam use designs carved in wooden blocks for printing, the Srikalahasti style uses the wax process to fill in the colors after drawing the outlines with the quill.
All the colors and dyes, which are used in the Kalamkari craft style are made of natural products. The printing process of Kalamkari is very delicate and time taking as it involves not less than twelve different stages. Kalamkari is mostly used in wall decorations and clothes. It is highly inspired by the Persian patterns and motifs. The art form of Kalamkari usually showcases mythological figures and stories. Stories of the epics like Ramayana, Mahabharata and Shiv Puranas are also depicted on the fabrics. The origin of Kalamkari dates back to the 10th century when it was derived as the result of trade relations between the Indian and Persian merchants. Kalamkari is one of the most traditional Indian handicrafts and you should not miss to bring home a 'piece' of this tradition in your next Andhra Pradesh visit.
