Kalamkari refers to a method of painting natural dyes onto cotton or silk fabric with a bamboo pen or kalam. The namekalamkari translates as pen (kalam) work (kari) in Hindi/Urdu, and was most likely derived from trade relationships between Persian and Indian merchants as early as the 10th century CE. European merchants also had names for this type of fabric decoration: the Portugese called it pintado, the Dutch used the name sitz, and the British preferred chintz. The name kalamkari is used prominently today, and is synonymous with both painted and hand blockprinted textiles that incorporate natural vegetable/organically-derived dye stuffs. While there are many forms of kalamkari throughout India and the world, the focus of this site is on extant kalamkari practice in Sri Kalahasti, Andhra Pradesh, in South India.
The exact nascence of kalamkari in Sri Kalahasti is unknown, however, textual resources indicate that the art form flourished throughout the Deccan plateau between the 13th and 19th centuries CE due to extensive textile trading that occurred along the Coromandel Coast. Sri Kalahasti was most likely established as a kalamkari center due to its close proximity to a constant supply of clean, flowing water (a necessary component to kalamkari production), found in the River Swarnamurki that runs through the town. It is possible that Sri Kalahasti also enjoyed local patronage from the Sri Kalahasteewara temple, a prominent Shiva temple that draws pilgrims from all over India each year. Other local patrons may have included nearby landowners and zamindars, and possibly the Vijayanagar rulers during the 13th to 16th centuries CE. Kalamkari from Sri Kalahasti reflects a predominately Hindu patronage, and artists in the area continue that tradition through the painting of a variety of Hindu narrative themes, including the Ramayana, Mahabharata, and Shiva Puranas.
The port, Masulipatnam in Northern Andhra Pradesh, was a prominent trading site along the Coromandel Coast, and one location where kalamkari from Sri Kalahasti would have been traded to merchants from around the world and ultimately shipped off to a variety of international locations. Masulipatnam�s importance as a trade center was largely due to its connection with the Golconda kingdom as the port itself suffered from infrastructure. The Golconda ruler, Qutab Shahi, in particular was formative in establishing a strong trade relationship with the Persian Safavid Empire, which was particularly interested in acquiring kalamkari textiles for a variety of personal and domestic uses. Other trading ports along the Coromandel Coast included Pulicat and Fort St. George (present-day Chennai).
Merchants and traders from around the world used Indian textiles, the majority of which were kalamkari, as a currency in the Spice Trade. European and East Asian markets demanded spices like nutmeg, clove, and pepper as well as aromatic woods and oils, which were available almost exclusively in parts of Southeast Asia and Indonesia. The Southeast Asian and Indonesian markets, on the other hand, demanded Indian textiles particularly for ritual and ceremonial use. Thus a triangular trading system was established that implicated Indian textiles in a larger global exchange of goods and products. As time went on, Indian textiles were seen as luxury items in themselves, and a variety of textiles and textile-related products were sold to merchants throughout Europe, the Middle East and Asia. Relationships between India and parts of Europe through this exchange of textiles ultimately led to the imperialistic agenda of the British Empire through colonialism.
Kalamkari textiles took many forms depending on their intended market. Prayer rugs, canopies and door covers painted with meharab designs, animal forms and floral motifs were made for the Middle-Eastern market, while tree-of-life bedcovers and dress material that resembled crewel work was painted for the European market. On the other hand, patterned hip and shoulder wrappers and narrative wall hangings were traded to the Southeast Asian market and material for robes and jackets were sent to East Asia.
The main artist families involved in kalamkari during the 19th century were members of the Balaji jati�a community traditionally involved in agricultural work and small industry. Today, there are over 300 individuals in and around Sri Kalahasti involved in some aspect of kalamkari work�from preparing cloth and dyes, to design motifs and format layout, to final painting and execution. Around the middle of the 20th century, the popularity of kalamkari in Sri Kalahasti waned to the point of near disappearance, with most artists focusing on agricultural work and other local occupations. At this point, around the late 1950s, kalamkarireceived government attention and sponsorship, through the intervention of art activist, Kamaladevi Chattopadyaya.
In 1957, Kamaladevi Chattopadyaya helped establish a government-run kalamkari training center that focused on teaching a new generation of artists the techniques and stylistic vocabulary of kalamkari. The ebb and flow of kalamkari popularity continues to plague the artistic community at Sri Kalahasti, however at the moment there is an upsurge in interest in the art form by designers, NGOs and entrepreneurs living and working in nearby cities. A range of products are now created using kalamkari cloth and are available for sale at craft exhibitions, small boutiques and from the artists directly. In addition to the traditional style narrative wall hangings artists also create hand painted saris, dupattas, personal items and home accessories.
