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Kalamkari, which literally means 'pen work',
are paintings done on textile with vegetable
or natural dyes. The Kalakmari tradition
flourished throughout India from the 14th
century onwards, but gained popularity and
acquired its name during Muslim rule.
The technique began to die out with the
introduction of machine-printed textiles, and
now only a small number of artisans practice
the craft in centres in the southern states of
Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. Chief among
these are Srikalahasti and Masulipatinam.
The Kalamkari Unit in Kalakshetra uses
methods based on extensive research in both
of these areas.
A devotional strain of the craft developed in
Srikalahasti which was a centre of pilgrimage.
The temple Kalamkaris are narrative, and
based on themes from Hindu mythology,
describing anything from a single episode to
the whole sweep of an epic. The only tool
used for these intricate works was the
Kalam, a thin bamboo stick sharpened to a |
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