Pedana Kalamkari Hand Block Print Sarees

In India, Kalamkari sarees have been worn for at least 2,000 years. It's a kind of cotton or silk textile that has been block-printed or hand-painted.  These two Kalamkari variants though equally beautiful, differ in their place of origin and technique completely. While pen kalakari which is a free hand drawing/painting art form comes from Srikalahasti, the Pedana Kalamkari, is a authentic handblock print technique and comes from Machilipatnam district of Andhra Pradesh.

Both of these art forms however use a pre-prepped base using natural mordants like cow dung, raw milk etc and thus have a dull beige base over which natural dyes are applied using a wooden pen or wooden blocks.

History

From the 13th to the 19th century, groups of singers, musicians, and painters known as Chitrakattis traveled from village to village spreading Hindu mythology stories through street plays, particularly in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. They continued to share these stories in order to make a living. Gradually, the Chitrakattis developed fresh concepts to aid the public in comprehending what they were attempting to convey. Thus, using simple tools and plant-based dyes, they painted the tales directly on the big canvases where their plays were being performed. According to legend, these storytellers traveled from village to village carrying enormous rolls of canvas painted with natural dyes and colors, adorned with storyboards depicting scenes from epics and other cultural literature. In addition to the Kalamkari canvas, they used traditional dance styles like Kathakali to assist tell these tales.

The Pedana Kalamkari craft evolved under the patronage of the Mughals and the Golconda sultanate. It was made in Pedana, near Machilipatnam in Krishna district, Andhra Pradesh. Persian art had an influence on this school of Kalamkari craft under Islamic rule.

Designs & Making of Pendana kalamkari

The designs of the Machilipatnam style of Kalamkari are carved by hand onto conventional hardwood blocks. The motifs are then printed on the fabric using these blocks. The colors used for pedana kalamkari are traditionally natural dyes and hence have a set pallete of indigos, madder red, deeped maroon, mehendi greens, yellow, brown and black.

Colors 

In this entire process, extensive use of natural materials like leaves, fruits, flowers, and bark of trees. Natural dyes are made using color extracts from fruit peel, roots, leaves, and mineral salts. The colors that are mostly used in this saree are blue, red, black, yellow, and green. The red signature color is made from a solution of alum, tamarind seed powder, and Indian madder root. Yellow color is extracted from pomegranate peel and mango bark, similarly blue from Indigo, and black from iron ore. 

The Pedana School of KKalamkari was awarded a GI in 2012 under the Geographical Indications of Goods Act, of 1999. The town manufactures textiles in the form of running fabric, sarees, bedsheets, etc. 

Pedana Kalamkari sarees, renowned for their exquisite hand-block printed designs in earthy color palette are widely popular due to their versatility, butter soft drape and cost effectiveness. Vemshala, a trusted brand, brings this ancient art form to your doorstep through its curated collection of kalamkari sarees available online.