Kalamkari is a traditional Indian craft predominantly
related to cotton fabric. In this craft, fabric is patterned
through the medium of dye rather than loom. Ochre is
one of the few colors which cotton would take on easily But for other colors the fabric is to be initially treated with mordant that facilitated the absorption of the
desired hue. Mordant can be easily applied either with
block or with a brush or pen like instrument on a pre
The use of the kalam (pen) on the cloth lent the term
kalamkari to this art form.This art was used for decorative
or functional hangings in domestic and monumental structures
as wrapping and covering material, or in costume.
There are five key areas in Krishna district in South
India where the craft is practiced however there are
several departures from the earlier practices. Mordant
is uniformly printed with the block. Indigo dying has
been virtually relinquished and the application of wax
resist by kalam is also absent from the procedure. Mordant
for outlining in black remains the same.
Method of Kalamkari
Block Making: Teak is
used for the engraving of blocks. Blocks are cut along
the breadth of the wood and the minimum width is 6-cm.
The wood selected is devoid of holes and cracks. The
selected block is evened with a planer and sandpapered.
It is then waxed to ensure absolute smoothness. The
design to be carved is outlined on a paper sheet, which
is stretched out evenly on the wood and gently tacked
into place along the edges. A metal instrument shaped
like a pencil with sharp pointed edge is lightly hammered
along the lines of pattern. This causes the transfer
of the outline onto the surface of the wood in the form
of perforated incisions. After that paper is removed
and chalk powder is rubbed on the surface which helps
the pattern to come into sharper focus.
Kalam: A thick bamboo
stick about 18 cm in length and about 6 mm in width
is made. At one end at the distance of about 3 cm from
the point of termination a thick coil of goats hair
felt is coiled around and tied into position.
Yellow Dye: The dried
flowers called Aldekai are pounded with a wooden rod.
Water is added to the powdered flowers and the mixture
is boiled for 2-3 hours. After it is cooled it is filtered
and kept ready.
fruit is soaked for about an hour in a fresh buffalo
milk. After the fruit is softened it is pounded with
a wooden rod. After mashing the solution is further
diluted with cold water and is filtered through fine
Iron & Alum Mordants:
Paddy husk and iron stripes are piled in alternative
layers and set aflame with charcoal and cow dung cakes
an allowed to shoulder for a considerable time. After
that the strips are retrieved, washed and scrubbed with
stone to remove the rust. The cleaned strips are placed
in barrel shaped brass pot. A solution of jaggery and
salt water is poured on the iron fillings and then the
pot is kept aside for fermentation. The presence of
jaggery helps in the process of dissolving iron pieces.
Dry alum crystals are pounded to powder and water is
added in the proportion of 4 litres of water to 3 ½
kg of alum. The mixture is boiled till it is reduced
to half. The clarity in the shade of red depends on
the purity of alum used. Admixture of iron in any form
leads to the darkening of color and it is for this reason
that iron implements and utensils are avoided.
Bleaching and Washing:
This is the first step in the actual dying operations.
The unbleached material is soaked in a solution of cow
dung and water for 5-10 minutes and dried in the sun.
Te process is repeated three times. The cow dung being
a natural product does not weaken the fabric and repeated
procedure leads to whitening of the cloth without any
side effects. The fabric is then washed in clean water
and dried in sun.
Application of Myrobalam
The filtered abstract of myrobalam fruit is diluted
by the addition of about seven to eight buckets of water.
The material is dipped into this solution, removed immediately,
squeezed out and dried in the sun. The tannin in the
myrobalam plays a special role, on reaction with iron
salt a black color is produced. When the tannin reacts
with alum it improves the fastness of the red dye. It
also helps the cotton fiber to absorb the iron and alum
salts more evenly.
Printing of Iron and Alum Mordants
The printing is done on a long wooden table at an elevation
of about one foot from ground. The surface of the table
is covered with gunny cloth over which a damp cloth
is spread. The fabric to be printed is stretched out
on the table. Mordant is placed in the printing pad.
The basic structure for this is a rectangular tray made
of deodar or teak wood. A lose bamboo frame is made
which fits breadth wise into the bottom of the tray.
The printer sits cross-legged at the table with the
pad within easy reach. Mordant is poured from time to
time onto the pad from a brass lota ( mug). The bamboo
separators act as the base from which the sponge layer
absorbs mordant in limited quantities throughout the
printing operation. The woolen cloth on top acts as
a kind of blotter so that only the surface residue from
the sponge layer permeates through to establish contact
with the block. After wetting the surface of the block
with the mordant solution, the printer presses it down
on to the fabric. The block is hammered down after each
impression with a round edged hammer mostly to soften
the impact the surface of the hammer is covered with
cloth padding. Block printing is an art that requires
precision and skill to achieve necessary fineness.
The printing of the iron mordant precedes that of alum.
The prepared substances are thickened with gum to facilitate
When the iron mordant impression is made on the myrobalam
treated cloth, the tannin in myrobalam reacts to the
iron acetate leading to the formation of black color.
As alum solution is colorless, a fugitive color is
added so that the outlines may be visible while printing.
In past sappan wood was used, today vermilion is utilized.
After mordant printing the cloth is kept for two or
three days to ensure thorough drying.
Degumming and Washing
After mordants have dried, degumming and washing is
takes place. The degumming has to so effected that there
is no smudging of the outline. The cloth is taken to
the river and left in water for about two to three hours.
Utmost care is taken to ensure that the cloth is evenly
stretched out to ensure all unwanted mordant is removed.
The cloth is also beaten on the stones by the riverbed
to remove the remaining impurities and later the fabric
is dried in the sun.
Boiling for Alizarin
Alizarin is dissolved in cold water and later the alizarin
solution is added to the boiling water. After that the
mordant fabric is completely submerged in the pot and
allowed to boil for an hour.
The Jagakku leaves are added to the solution that facilitates
the dying process. The cloth is taken out after the
red color is developed. It is dried in the sun.
If bleached background is desired then the cow dung
process is repeated.
Starching and Application of
The cloth is kept in the prepared starch and then squeezed
out and dried in the sun.
Now it is a stage to use pen. The prepared myrobalam
is kept in lota and the kalam is dipped into the solution.
The kalam is held at vertical angle to the fabric. The
coiled felt is held between forefinger and the thumb.
An even pressure is applied to enable the dye trickle
down the base on to the cloth. In case any excess color
is found it is blotted off with the felt portion of
Final Processing: Alum
crystals are pounded, cool water is added and stirred
well and the fabric is submerged in this solution. The
excess yellow color runs off and all colors are fixed.
Finally, the cloth is washed with the soap and dried
in the sun.
The Kalamkari art is extensively practiced in South
India for Iranian Market. The Kalamkari practiced in
Masaulipatnam has an intricacy with which the inner
surface of each motif is further ornamented in delicate
black tracery. Here, it is extensively used in prayer
mats, wall hangings, and towels. The designs are floral,
geometrical and figurative. The scenes from mythological
stories are also depicted in the designs.