Kalamkari - the textile art form of Andhra Pradesh

Kalamkari refers to a method of painting natural dyes onto cotton or silk fabric with a bamboo pen or kalam. The name kalamkari translates as pen (kalam) work (kari) in Hindi/Urdu, and was most likely derived from trade relationships between Persian and Indian merchants as early as the 10th century CE. European merchants also had names for this type of fabric decoration: the Portugese called it pintado, the Dutch used the name sitz, and the British preferred chintz. The name Kalamkari is used prominently today, and is synonymous with both painted and hand blockprinted textiles that incorporate natural vegetable/organically-derived dye stuffs. While there are many forms of Kalamkari throughout India and the world, the origins are in Sri Kalahasti, Andhra Pradesh, in South India. You can read more on this art form here.

Yesterday, thanks to my friend Usha (who incidentally blogs here and is an amazing poet), I had the chance to visit The House of Kalamkari and Dhurries, a weavers' workshop at Dargah Hussain Shah Wali (a village on the outskirts of Hyderabad). This is run by 80 year old Suraiya Hasan Bose who feels passionatley about all things Indian. Her uncle worked closely with Subhash Chandra Bose (whose nephew Aurobindo she married) and her father Badrul Hasan started the Cottage Industries Emporium in Hyderabad. As a young girl she has contributed a generous share to the foreign goods bonfire of the Swadeshi Movement. Mahatma Gandhi too has been her idol. When Gandhi first visited Hyderabad' it was in front of Suraiya's house that the first bonfire of English mill-made cloth was lit.

Much later, in 1980, she started Deccan Exports in consultation with John Bissel, FabIndia founder. That same year she started The House of Kalamkari and Dhurries. For the last 25 years she has worked with weavers across the state to resurrect forgotten weaves. Today, in the courtyard of her house there are 20 women working on looms to revive rare exquisite weaves..paithani from Paithan; himroo from Aurangabad; mushroo from kutch and jamavar from Kashmir. Recently the Chowmahallah Palace in Hyderabad commissioned her to design Kalamkari covers for the exhibits in the museum.

Along with exquisite fabrics (bedlinens, tablecloths, clothing) and dhurries in her wokshop, she also has Kondapally wooden toys, Nirmal animals and cast bronze figurines from Orissa - all dying art forms she is trying to revive! As she has no offspring to bequeath her legacy, she has consolidated the looms with a school for poor children saying "if I merge the weaving section with the school trust, no one can take away what we have so lovingly built"! Despite Suraiya's busy schedule' she is at the school every day at 8 am. "What's heartening is' marriage is not a priority for the girls passing out from my school. College is. That's our greatest achievement'" she says' her eyes shining through her bifocals.

This amazing octogenarian has all my admiration for her untiring passion and efforts. Unfortunately, she was not in the workshop yesterday, but I plan to go back often and hopefully get to meet her some day! Here are some pics I managed to sneak in while browsing....the lighting inside wasn't that great...but I hope you can see the beautiful fabrics.

And then of course, there was NO WAY i could leave without buying something....so I got a bedspread in my favorite shade...you guessed it, orange!