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Wielding the kalam
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Young girls of Kalahasthi turn out modern pouches, cases, bags and folders with the traditional Kalamkari touch
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At the Dwaraka sale: hands that preserve an art — Photo: Murali Kumar K.
THE EYES are perhaps fixed on a peacock or an elephant. An intricate mango maybe. Colours stroke out from burnt tamarind twigs. Maybe it is difficult for us sitting in Bangalore to imagine 20 pairs of deft young trained hands working away at preserving the Kalamkari tradition in Sri Kalahasthi.
Hardworking hands that have cut stone at quarries. Hands that feed families.
We will perhaps only gush over the vegetable dyes, the fabric, the eco-friendly chemical-free products, the "ethnic" look— urban perceptions die hard.
But what really matters is appreciation for the art and respect for the artisan.
So, if you are looking for leather purses, wallets, bags, greeting cards, and desktop accessories in traditional hand-painted patterns for gifting, and mean to encourage young artisans, you could check out the Dwaraka sale.
On at the Safina Plaza, the sale has a variety of Kalamkari products to offer — handbags, handmade paper bags, drawstring pouch bags, wallets, cell-phone pouches, watchcases, passport cases, intricate hand-painted mirror and photo frames, jute and cloth bags with stark and innovative Kalamkari work. Traditional vegetable dyes are used to produce the characteristic designs in black, maroon, and blue, done on beige and cream fabric.
Dwaraka or Development of Weavers and Rural Artisans in Kalamkari Art has trained 20 girls in the age group of 16 and 21 in Kalahasthi (Andhra Pradesh) in this dying art form. "These girls are not necessarily from traditional artisan families. I had met a group of them selling their products door-to-door in Bangalore, so we decided to organise the community through the Dwaraknath Reddy Ramanarpanam Trust," says Anita Reddy, managing trustee of Dwaraka. Master craftsmen, artisans and weavers have helped identify girls in the community for training in the guru-shishya parampara. Quarry workers too were involved in the process to provide them an alternative source of income. Such girls are now the breadwinners for over 100 families in the Kalahasthi area.
Kalamkari is actually drawn from a Persian technique and so the name "Kalam" meaning pen or the burnt tamarind twigs used in this case, and "kari" meaning work.
Wooden stools with hand-painted cloth tops make good newspaper stands between Rs. 295 and Rs. 325. Mirror frames are priced at Rs. 110 onward.
Accessories range from Rs. 40 to Rs. 200, and greeting cards from Rs. 12 to Rs. 20. Cotton stoles range around Rs. 225, and tops and T-shirts with patchwork and appliqué in Kalamkari come at Rs. 230.
There is a 10 per cent discount on all products at the sale. It is on till Sunday. Call Dwaraka at: 23612265.
BHUMIKA K.
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