Pedana Kalamkari

Kalamkari or Qalamkari, originating from Persia, literally translates to drawing with a pen (‘kalam’). Kalamkari has two styles of art – in the Srikalahasti style the ‘kalam’ (pen) is used to draw free-hand religious or mythological scenes from Hindu epics and then filling it with natural vegetable and plant dyes. The Machalipatnam style, from Pedana, in Andhra Pradesh, involves using block printing with wooden blocks, dipped in natural dyes.