Kalamkari Reimagined: A Legacy for the Rarest of the Rare

At Indissa, we don’t just create garments—we craft timeless stories. Kalamkari Reimagined is an ode to India’s artistic legacy, meticulously designed for those who seek the rarest of the rare.

Our journey began with inspirations from the  c 150 B.C. Sunga Period,where intricate carvings told tales of devotion and life. These ancient narratives became the soul of our motifs—exclusive to Indissa, found nowhere else in the world. Every line, every curve, carries the weight of history, yet speaks to a modern sensibility.

Kalamkari: An Art Woven in Time

Kalamkari is a simple conjoint of two words, kalam meaning pen and kari meaning work, or one who is an expert at using the kalam. In other words kalamkari denotes an art in which remarkable designs are hand-painted on cotton fabrics. Artisans who used kalams were called Kalamkars.

Kalamkari was used for decorative or functional hangings in domestic and monumental structures, as wrapping and covering material or in costumes. Kalamkari cloth paintings also produced articles for decorative wall hanging, bedcovers, saris, cushion covers, tablecloths and bags. Thus, this category of patterned fabrics covered a whole range of textiles, differing in texture as well as pattern, the common binding feature being similarity of dyeing methods.

Geographical Presence:

• Kalamkari of Masulipatnam (Machilipatnam)
• Kalamkari of Srikalahasti

Kalamkari of Masulipatnam

The historic town of Masulipatnam (Machilipatnam) on the eastern coast of Andhra Pradesh, is an important centre where the art of kalamkari is being practised even today and is locally known as addakam

History

It is believed that this industry existed here even in the pre-Christian era. In the ancient days the Buddhist chaitya viharas were decorated with kalamkari pieces. The Greeks under Alexander are also said to have acquired this cloth. The kalamkari industry flourished around Masulipatnam as it had all the raw materials required in abundance. For instance, the materials for the dyes to be made —the clean flowing water of the Krishna River was available at nearby canals and the saline soils of the region were ideal for the various processes of kalamkari manufacture. To top it all, Masulipatnam was an important port situated on the world seaways.

Initially, the kalamkaris of Maulipatnam were entirely painted with the kalam, but north Indian influence led to the use of wooden blocks. The Masulipatnam workers, who catered to the Persian markets, adopted the blocks without any regret. The orthodox Islamic market had a preference for repetitive geometrical and floral designs.

Decline of Kalamkari: The printing and dyeing industry of Masulipatnam went on undaunted till about mid 18th century, till the Industrial Revolution began. With it, came the banning of the calicoes in England (1721), giving a severe blow to this industry.Also, the discovery of chemical dyes by the Western producers injured the artistic feelings of the people and demoralised the indigenous crafts. The delicacy and harmony of colour, which formerly characterised Indian fabrics for durability of colour, had been undermined.

Raw materials : The fabric used in Masulipatnam is an unbleached cotton, mill-made or khadi cloth known as kora with a count of 40s to 60s. They also use Venkatgiri fine cotton saris of 100s count for printing and painting. Synthetic fabrics and silk are neither used nor preferred by the artisans.
Cotton base fabric was the most suited for this craft because the vegetable colours developed well on cotton and it could withstand the harsh treatment during processing.

Colours: The colours generally used for painting and printing these kalamkaris were black, red, blue, yellow and green. These were the main colours, and the other colours used were a combination of them like grey, cream and chocolate brown. Masulipatnam uses a maximum of nine colours per item, while the minimum used can be four. Chocolate brown, locally known as gabbu, is one of the most popular colours of the Maulipatnam artisans. . Among the most popular colour schemes seen is the combination of black, chocolate or red, yellow with cream, white or grey. Preparing the colours was a specialised task. Roots, leaves, flowers, barks, seeds, etc. were used to prepare the various colours from local sources.

Motifs:

1. Tree of Life-This is the most popular design used.
2. Pandu-This is used as a central motif, if large, and as all-over print, if small. Two peacocks on either side generally surround the pandu.
3. Chakram-This is a common circular design. A large chakram can fill an entire bedspread while a smaller one could be the focal point of a piece. The remaining background is generally filled with flowers and foliage. Very often the rings of circle have paisleys with two small peacocks on either side of a pandu.
4. Stambam-This is a popular motif and stambams can be repeated in a circular or in a linear manner to give the chakram a border.
5. Mango- This is another motif frequently used in borders, the chakram or on the general body of the piece. Even within this motif there are several variations. The larger, slimmer, elongated mangoes are called the karoda mangoes. Bigger mangoes are called nachu.
6. Arches-Typically Persian motifs are used in a repetitive manner to constitute a border.
7. Others-Elephants, peacocks, camels are among the commonly used animal motifs. Flowers of several types are used in abundance and in various forms. The backgrounds are generally covered with intricate Persian designs of intertwining stems, leaves and flowers.

Kalamkari of Srikalahasti

Kalamkari in Srikalahasti has been around for 200 years approximately.Srikalahasti is a district at the southern corner of Andhra Pradesh. It is situated on the bank of river Swarnamukhi, the lifeline of the kalamkari artists. On entering this pilgrimage town, one is struck by the imposing and beautiful structure of the temple Kalahasteeswara, situated on the banks of the river. This Shiva temple has been the prime source of inspiration and ideas for artists through the centuries. Several interesting legends associated with the religious importance of this place often become the subject matter for the painted cottons.

History

Kalamkaris of Srikalahasti as an art dates back to the 14th century, to the last Vijayanagar ruler, Raja Shri Krishna Deva Raya, under whose reign Kalahasti reached its peak. Krishna Deva Raya was a great monarch, and the art gained considerable favour as he advanced rapidly in power. Kalamkari was then used widely as painted temple cloth displayed on the outer walls of the temple during festivals.

The Kalahasti temple cloth painting used the kalamkari process-painting with the help of kalam, locally known as vrathapani. For this, largely vegetable dyes were used. The designs consisted of mythological figures, flowers, border designs, etc., drawn freehand with the kalam.

The temple cloth designs of Kalahasti were wholly dependent on individual skills both of the hand and imagination. Craftsmen specialised only in designs needed for temple cloths, consisting of panels depicting episodes from ancient texts.

Decline: The kalamkari temple clothes seem to have disappeared around the 20th century. Till then it thrived on the patronage of the local zamindars and agents who used to place orders for kalamkari. With the disappearance of the zamindari institution, it died out too.

The craftsmen, however, did not give up. In order to survive they utilised their talent and channelled it towards teaching kalamkari drawings. The innovativeness of the craftsmen helped revive the art and the Kalahasti painting tradition resumed. Today several domestic utility products like bed covers, saris, stoles, duppattas, cushion covers, tablecloths, bags and torans (circular decorative hangings for house temples), are also being produced.

Raw Material: The most preferred fabric is cotton and is referred to as gada or kora cloth (woven with unbleached yarn), which could be mill-made or handwoven and is available locally. This is a thick fabric of approximately 25s. Mulberry silk, for saris, and handloom raw silk, for hangings, are also used. Synthetic fabrics are never used.

Colours: Various gods and goddesses are coloured in their traditionally acceptable colours. The artist gives utmost importance to the significance of different colours in the religious context.

He is careful to avoid any kind of breach of the norms and ethics of colour through its misuse. General association of colours with gods and deities is as follows: Rama, Krishna,Mahavishnu,Nataraja,Dharma Raj are in dark blue, Shiva,Nataraja,Bharat are in light blue, demons like rakshashas, Dashanam are shown in Red,goddesses and female consorts like saraswati,Lakshmi,Durga and Sita are in yellow and Hanuman is in green.

Borders are mostly done in yellow today,whereas earlier they used to be in red. The background earlier was usually white but now red is more popular.Hence the bleaching step after removal of starch is sometimes omitted.

Motifs: Kalahasti kalamkari work specialises in producing temple cloths used as canopies placed above idols during festival celebrations or as panels to hang on the walls used as background for religious functions. Thus, artists draw inspiration from the epics and the Puranas-from which they describe a single episode or sometimes series of episodes around a central image. Scenes are arranged in rows in form of pictorial friezes under which relevant text is written in one line.

Dyes: 

Yellow Colour: Mayrabolan is actually a fruit which can be obtained from Terminalia chebula, this basically forms a pale yellow / greenish yellow colour. It also acts as a natural mordant and is used in textiles.

Black colour:  Kasim kaaram (Black colour) is obtained from jaggery, rusted iron filings and water. Initially these materials are immersed in water and allowed to settle for around 15 to 20 days. The reaction of molasses and iron fillings is called ferrous acetate. This solution when drawn on myrabolam treated cloth turns into a permanent black because of the reaction between ferrous acetate and tannin.

Blue colour: Indigo blue is said to be one of the most ancient natural dyes which is obtained from Indigo leaves which is mixed with locally available sand, near river banks and allowed to settle and then filtered. The filtered solution is mixed with indigo leaves and left for around 21 days, if the process is done in less or more amount of time the output of indigo blue is either dull or too dark. So 21 days is the appropriate time for the right shade of Indigo blue.

Golden yellow colour: The upper part of the fruit pomegranate also called persistent calyx which is finely powdered and mixed with water, stirred and then boiled to high temperatures where it becomes a fine paste and it’s then stored. After a week’s time, fine paste is then squashed by hand and yellow colour is produced, it is also available in the market for ₹700 per kg.

Red colour: Algerian is a chemical which is readily available in the market for ₹1,800 per kg, in olden days the seeds of pomegranate, alum and bark of mango tree was mixed to make red colour. Kalamkari artists usually prefer buying it from the local market because it is expensive and it is not easily available.

Green Colour: The colour green is obtained by mixing two colours which are yellow and blue which results in a darker shade of green, Yellow and black forms a lighter shade of green.

Process: 

1. Preparation
   • The fabric is washed in plain water to remove starch and then dried.
2. Pre-Treatment
   • The fabric is washed and soaked in a solution of cow dung, milk, and Chebulic Myrobalan (locally called Karakha Pindhi) for 1 to 2 hours.
   • After drying, the fabric is ready for the outlining process.
3. Basic Outline Drawing
   • The initial outline is drawn using a burnt tamarind stick, which acts like charcoal or a chalk piece.
4. Detailed Outlining
   • A thin bamboo stick (Kalam) is used to create detailed outlines in black.
5. Hand Painting
   • The inner areas of the design are hand-painted using a single color with the Kalam.
6. Washing Process
   • The fabric is washed in plain water to fix the initial colors.
7. Color Fixation (For Maroon/Red)
   • To obtain maroon or red shades, the fabric is soaked in boiling water to ensure the color adheres properly.
8. Repeating the Washing Process
   • The fabric is repeatedly washed after each color application until all colors are set.
9. Final Touches
   • The fabric is washed again, ironed, and carefully packed before being sent to the customer.
     

Necessity to Revive Kalamkari

Kalamkari, once a thriving art form, faces challenges due to industrialization, mass production, and dwindling artisan communities. Reviving it is crucial for several reasons:

1. Preservation of Heritage: Kalamkari embodies centuries-old Indian traditions, mythology, and storytelling. Reviving it safeguards this cultural legacy for future generations.

2. Supporting Artisan Communities: Many artisans depend on Kalamkari for their livelihood. With reduced demand, their skills are at risk of being lost. Revival efforts can provide sustainable income and empower craft clusters.

3. Sustainable & Eco-friendly Fashion: Kalamkari uses natural dyes and handmade techniques, making it a sustainable alternative to chemical-based textile production. Promoting it aligns with eco-conscious fashion trends.

4. Luxury Appeal: In a world dominated by machine-made fabrics, Kalamkari’s intricate hand-painted details offer a distinct luxury appeal. Reviving it enhances the value of handmade, slow fashion.

5. Combatting Decline & Mass Production: The rise of screen-printed imitations threatens authentic Kalamkari. Educating consumers and promoting genuine handmade pieces can help maintain its authenticity. Revival efforts—through awareness, collaborations, and integrating Kalamkari into contemporary fashion—can ensure this rich art form continues to flourish.