One District – One Product

Pedana Block Kalamkari Fabrics : KALAMKARI           

INTRODUCTION

India is a land of many art forms, so keeping track of them all is nearly difficult. However, thanks to the art meeting design in the shape of Machilipatnam / Pedana Kalamkari block print sarees, rugs, hand towels, paintings, door covers, bed covers, clothing material, and so on.  Pedana is a small town just 13 km from Machilipatnam, the head quarter of Krishna district in coastal Andhra Pradesh. This small place has carved a speciality for it with its own style Kalamkari materials.

                   The Machilipatnam style of Kalamkari or Pedana style of Kalamkari is one of the two styles of Kalamkari works present in India, with the other being, Srikalahasti style. It mainly   uses vegetable dyes which are applied onto the fabric with the help of wooden blocks. Production of Machilipatnam Kalamkari is geographically limited to Pedana town and its neighboring Villages of Machilipatnam, Polavaram and Kappaladoddi in Guduru mandal of Krishna district.

History and origin of Kalamkari in Pedana

     The word Kalamkari comes from the Persian word “kalam”, which is known as pen, and Kari, which indicates craftsmanship. This style of art evolved during the rule of Mughal Dynasty and practiced by Golconda Sultanate. A wall hanger dating back to 15th Century AD, is still being displayed in Victoria Museum, London. Hand-printed calicos printed on cotton cloth with blocks using vegetable dyes from plants, barks, seeds, flowers, leaves and roots of various plants of Andhra Pradesh are known as Kalamkaris. In the recent times, the Kalamkaris of Musula have gained wide popularity within and outside the country

                                                                  

Process involved in Block printing with Natural Dyes in Pedana :

The original grey cloth contains fats, oils and natural impurities has to be removed to get a white cloth for printing by the scouring or boiling, dyeing, bleaching, hand painting, block-printing, starching, and cleaning.

Scouring or boiling: In order to make fibre more absorbent to obtain more even shades, penetration of the dye stuff the natural impurities have to be removed by boiling the cloth in hot alkaline solution like soda ash and caustic soda or detergent for 2-3 hrs at boiling temperature.
Myrobalan treatment: The required quantity of Myrobalan (karakayya) solution is taken in to a vessel. The scoured dried cloth is taken and kept in the above solution for 30-45 mins. During this period the cloth is lifted and dipped for several times to get even absorption, care should be taken that the cloth is completely immersed in the solution. After 45 minutes  the cloth is` taken out, squeezed evenly and dried in the sunlight. After drying the cloth can be taken to black colour printing.
Printing with Black colour: The gum mixed black colour is taken in colour trays. The dried myrobalan cloth is spread tightly on the printing table. The black colour is taken by a wooden block from the colour tray and printing usually outlines of the design.
Printing with Alum solution: The Alum red tinted printing paste is taken in colour tray. This alum solution is taken by the blocks from the trays and printed where ever red colour is necessary. Using alum with different percentages on different mordents they develop more shades.

Alum Printed Cloth: After printing with black and alum the cloth is dried under sun light for one day. Care should be taken that printed portion should not come in to contact with water or moisture. If it is so the colours will spread.
Washing: The fully dried cloth is taken for washing to remove loosely adhering colour particles and gum on the fabric. They do washing in flowing water. After washing they are dry the cloth under sunlight.