Kalamkari Sarees ~ Story Telling Sarees


Inspired by Hindu mythology and exhibit enchanting designs of ancient caves and sculptures, Being highly attractive and exhibiting exceptional ethnic appeal, these saree are hugely loved by young girls and women. The whole story was sequentially drawn on canvas by pen using natural colours.
While Pedana and Machilipatnam are the hub for hand block-printed Kalamkari, Srikalahasti in Chittoor district of Andhra Pradesh is known for the pen-drawn format. Kalamkari has been around for nearly 2000 years in India. The word Kalamkari is a combination of Kalam, which means pen, and kari, which means work.
Storytelling styles in actual weaving evolved in following two 
  • Srikalahasti style
  • Machilipatnam style

Srikalahasti style
Srikalahasti is a holy town in Chittoor district of Andhra Pradesh state and southeastern coast of the country, India. The temple town is a combination of traditions, customs, myths and folklore, which is famous in Srikalahasti shrine, Srikalahasti Temple is also regarded as Rahu-Ketu kshetra and Dakshina Kasi. The deity Srikalahasteeswara(Shiva) is situated in banks of fast flowing river Swarnamukhi. Swarnamukhi river only clean water flows, that is the reason the art flourished here. Both Cotton and silk medium is used for Kalamkari art.
Machilipatnam style
Evolved in 12th Century in Machilipatnam in Krishna district, Andra Pradesh, India and promoted by Kakatiya & Reddy Dynasties Kingdom. This is entirely hand worked. Thus represents Srikalahasti style. The Art, Flowers and Paintings Inspired across the temples are being inspired and represented by young articians. His style flowered around temples and their patronage and so had an almost religious identity – scrolls, temple hangings, chariot banners, deities and scenes taken from the Hindu epics – Ramayana, Mahabarata, Puranas and the mythological classics.
Evolution of Name
In ancient time, people used to travel village to village, and used to tell stories. Some of them were also drawing picture stories on Canvas which include stories from Ramayana, Mahabharata, Panch Tantra and Some famous characters of our Country, and thus to illustrate stories through pictures they used “Kalamkari” and the Art called Kalamkari born.
Initially, Kalamkari had an almost religious identity and flowered around temples. This pen art appeared on scrolls, temple hangings, chariot banners and depiction of deities and scenes from mythology. In modern times though, Kalamkari is often used to refer to the making of any cotton fabric that uses vegetable dyes for free hand painting or block printing.

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