kalamkari

The History and Techniques of Machilipatnam Pedana Kalamkari

by with No Comment Hand Block PrintingKalamkari Prints

KALAMKARI MACHILIPATNAM

The term kalamkari means ‘work done with a pen.’ It is now inseparably attached to the painted and block-printed cotton and silk textiles, produced in the Coromandel Coast (parts of Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu) of India.

At present, two of the most prominent centers of kalamkari production are Srikala Hasti (Chittoor District) and Machilipatnam (Krishna District) in Andhra Pradesh. While in Srikala Hasti, the textiles are painted with pens made from bamboo and cotton, in Machilipatnam, the line drawing done with a pen is transferred onto wooden blocks which are carved and then used to print fabric. In Machilipatnam, the production is carried out in Karkhanas (commercial workshops), where the block makers, washers, and printers work under the same roof.

 

SO, WHAT KALAMKARI ACTUALLY MEANS?

 

As with most crafted works, the product (and on occasion the sticker price) regularly misrepresents the tremendous exertion that goes into making them. The fastidious specialty of Kalamkari includes a progression of difficult strides on the textures – to emphasize the magnificence of the fragile examples and the profundity of shadings from regular colors.

When we talk about a product’s worth the people behind the development holds an important role, and when we talk about kalamkari skilled craftsmen are appointed to deal with different undertakings like making the squares, getting ready colors, treating the fabric, washing, printing, and drying. The administrations of somewhere around 8 skilled workers are needed in making the Kalamkari texture of a solitary plan.

Earlier we have talked about the making of squares, so the wooden squares are specially made according to the plan gave. The plans are first drawn on paper and duplicated onto a wooden square. To accomplish a particular plan on the texture would require the formation of no less than 2-3 squares – one for the diagram, the other to fill the shades of the blossoms, as well as leaves and different subtleties. Cutting is an uncommon expertise created with a ton of training and tolerance.

After completing the wooden engraved design it’s time for the colors, the tones utilized for coloring are acquired from normal sources like vegetables, minerals and blossoms, leaves, and bark of various trees. The novel red tone is gotten from an answer of alum and tamarind seed powder. Tamarind seeds are powdered and bubbled until it blends in with water – and afterward, left to cool. This arrangement is separated utilizing a muslin fabric. Alum functions as astringent and helps fix the shading. Like-wise, iron metal is utilized to make dark colors where the mineral is powdered and bubbled to make an answer. The most common way of cooling and sifting is included while making every single vegetable color.

Once we are done with the color preparation, it is directly applied to a texture with the assistance of a wooden square. Contingent upon the plan, continued shading of the texture required. After each round of shading, the textures are spread in daylight for drying. If one somehow managed to watch the craftsmen at work, it is very noteworthy how they get the situation of the squares so exact (with no realistic guides) that the flat and vertical dividing are even.

Finally, when the printing is finished, colors are put cautiously. The texture is subsequently plunged in water to assist tones with getting retained in the texture equally.

 

WHY IT IS FAMOUS AS KALAMKARI MACHILIPATNAM?

Machilipatnam has demonstrated an optimal area for the art of Kalamkari to flourish because of helpful climate conditions, accessibility of regular assets for colors and mordants, running waters, and a lot of daylight. Since 2013, Machilipatnam Kalamkari has the Geographical Index tag and creation is geologically restricted to the town of Pedana, and adjoining towns of Machilipatnam, Pol­av­aram and Kappaladoddi in the Krishna locale of Andhra Pradesh.

The extraordinary allure of the Kalamkari textures lies in the lavishness of its tones – an aftereffect of fast assimilation of normal colors, and sensitive dreary themes that are a mixture of articulations from Persian and Indian societies.

handblockblog

Hand Block Printed Textiles: The Bagru Technique

by with No Comment Hand Block Printing

Printing on fabrics is no new thing in our country rich of cultures and traditions. Printing on fabrics have been something recognized all over the globe and India has never lagged, untouched from this type of elegant craftsmanship.

In India, each design and pattern are a representation of local culture and tradition. While the rest of the world has shifted to modern ways, crafters in India still follow their traditional practices to add beauty to fabrics. There are a rich variety of printed fabrics in our country, just like our rich variety of cultures and traditions -: traditional block printing, shibori printing, bagh printing, bagru printing and ajrakh printing.

 Hand block printing has been a well recognized art since generations in different clusters in our country. Each cluster follows its own style and methods and uses the locally available materials which has their own set of specialities, and which never fails to give that touch of beauty and elegance to the fabrics.

 Bagru Printing is one of those old age traditional printing style which still prevails in the country, catches our attention, and never fail to leave us in awe.

Bagru printing is an amazing type of hand block printing. In this kind of printing, the desired pattern is engraved on the wooden block initially, and then the carved wooden block is used to replicate the design over the desired choice of fabric, and tada! Here we are with the most beautiful piece of art over fabric, and I personally like to wear the bagru print clothing, they look absolutely elegant, and I never regret walking out wearing those, ever!

 


 THE ORIGINATION OF BAGRU :

As far as I know, there lie no authentic records to justify the beginning of this unique style of art, but it is said to have begun 450 years back.

When a community of Chippas (literal meaning, those who stamp and print) visited Bagru from Sawai Madhopur, Alwar and various other locations and settled there, the bagru printing art form was introduced.

Chippas are known for their unique designs of luxuriant trellises in sophisticated natural colours. This community has never stopped till date and through consistent efforts and unity, they work in a place recognized as Chippa Maholla by Sanjaria riverside. I always walk in there only to find people engrossed in their work with dyes and blocks.

The bank of river provided them with the most essential ingredient – The clay, which is important in getting the base colour of the famed Bagru prints.

Having seen this beautiful fabric made before my eyes, I was intimidated. The artisans smear the cloth in fuller’s earth from by the river side, dip it in the turmeric water to get the cream shades for the background and then decorate them by stamping them with the desired styles and patterns using natural dyes of earthly shades. Isn’t it really amazing?

Even after all the modern dyes being available, the artisans use natural vegetable dyes for printing the cloth.

Indigo is for the making of colour blue.

Indigo mixed with pomegranate gives us the greens.

The royal red is obtained from madder root and the calming shade of yellow from turmeric.

I am absolutely amazed by this traditional practice, the simplicity and ethnicity of it all is remarkable.

 


TRANSITION OF BAGRU :

 

With time, everyone needs to advance their ways and find the one that suits the current market and scenarios and that is what happened with bagru fabrics and the artisans making them. Transition did occur.

In the earlier days, the artisans sat on floor and worked over low tables, while now, they stand and work on six feet fall tables. Earlier and followed the same routine of patterns, while now they are open to experimenting, they are now compatible doing layouts, using various textured fabrics to print on while simultaneously playing with new colours and different patterns.

Even the printing techniques have experienced aesthetic changes, Chippas incorporate spirals, circles diagonals in various patterns laid out on larger wider pieces of finer cotton.

Conventionally, bagru fabrics were only used in making of “ghaghras” , “odhnis” and even “pagris” (skirts, scarves, and turbans, respectively). Today, the bagru fabrics are are just limited to that, but has also entered into apparels, accessories and home furnishings.

 


THE CLOSURE :

 


The Bagru village hums with much activity today, it’s one of the most creative village I ever visited. It supplies this exquisite, printed material for trade, because everyone should indeed know of such creative piece of fabric. Buses and jeeps move in and out of the villages carrying bundles of bagru fabrics. As the world is waking up to environmental consciousness and eco-friendliness, this captivating and exotic art is getting recognized day by day.