Kalarnkari is a type of hand-painted cotton textile in South India. The word is derived from the Persian words kalam (pen) and kari (craftsmanship), meaning drawing with a pen. Kalamkari craft is very old. This art knew its apogee in the wealthy Golconda Sultanate, Hyderabad in the middle age, thanks to trade with Persia. Kalarnkari art has been practiced by many families in Andhra Pradesh and has constituted their livelihood. In ancient times, groups of singers, musicians and painters called Chitrakattis moved village to village to tell the audience the great stories of Hindu mythology. Progressively, during history, they illustrated their account using large bolts of canvas painted on the spot with rudimentary means and dyes extracted from plants. In the same way one finds in the Hindu temples large panels of Kalamkari depicting the episodes of Indian mythology, akin to the stained glasses of the Christian cathedrals. Kalarnkari had a certain decline; then it was revived in India and abroad for its craftsmanship. Since the 18th century the British liked the decorative element for clothing. ....Read more