Sikalnayakanpet/Sickinaikenpet/karuppur kalamkari – The process

The kalamkari style of painting was mainly developed in two places – Srikalahasthi and Machilapatnam

Srikalahasthi has mythological themes, mainly depicting scenes from Mahabharata, Ramayana and other puranas. Whereas Machilapatnam, developed under islamic rule was influenced more by mughal motifs like paisley and floral patterns. Later during Maratha rule in Tanjore, the art flourished where the artists created clothes for the royal family.

The process starts with soaking the fabric in buffalo milk and soap nut mixture. 

 

Image 1: Preparing the mixture

Image 2 : Soaking the fabric in the Milk + Soap nut mixture

The fabric is left to dry in the sun

Image 3 : Drying in the sun

The Painting process starts now. The outline is created with the brushes and pens are carved from coconut shells and bamboo trees – because any synthetic material will not have the same effect on cotton. The colors are extracted from natural sources such as flowers, barks, roots and seeds.
For Instance, black color is made with the help of old iron, jaggery and starch.

Image 4 : First layer of painting with coconut/bamboo brushes

Once the first layer of painting is done, the fabric is washed and dried. This process is repeated 3-4 times until the desired effect is achieved. The color that appears green here will actually turn black when it’s dried after the second or third wash.

Image 5 : During Final Drying

Image 6 : The final Saree

Image 7 : Manuneedhi Chozhan concept in Sickinaikenpet kalamkari

Above image is represents the act of justice where the king Manuneethi Chozhan punished his own son with death for providing justice to a cow that had lost its calf (which was killed by the prince under his chariot). This image is currently displayed at Tamil Nadu Bhavan in New Delhi.