Kalamkari is a way of putting pattern onto cloth by hand. The outline is drawn with a kalam, a sharpened bamboo pen, in a black made from iron filings fermented with jaggery. Colour is then built up in separate mordant and dye baths with a wash between every step. Nothing is screen printed and nothing is digitally printed.

Is every piece drawn by hand, or is some of it block printed?

Both, and each piece says which it is. Srikalahasti work is drawn freehand with the kalam, one line at a time. Machilipatnam work is printed with hand-cut teak blocks, a separate block and a separate pass for every colour. Both are hand processes and both use the same natural dyes.

Only dyes taken from plants and minerals. Madder root for red, pomegranate rind and turmeric for yellow, a fermented vat for indigo blue, and iron for black. Green is got by dyeing yellow over with indigo rather than by mixing a pigment. There are no chemical dyes in any piece.

What does a piece cost?

Nothing on this page carries a price. Every piece is a single hand-worked cloth and is quoted on its own, so the studio gives you a figure for the piece you actually want. Call +91 79976 42199 and ask about a specific piece, or send the list from the shop and a quote comes back with it.

There is no checkout on this site and no payment step. Add pieces to the bag and send the list to the studio on WhatsApp or by email, or write directly to pitchukaramesh18@gmail.com, call +91 79976 42199, or message the studio on Instagram at @annapurnakalamkari_handloom. A person replies, not an autoresponder.

How long does a commission take?

It depends on how much drawing is in it. A narrative panel with several figures is quoted at three to five months. Simpler pieces are quicker. You will be given a time before you commit to anything, and no deposit is needed to ask.

Do you ship outside India?

Yes. Pieces are sent within India and overseas. Include your delivery address with the enquiry and the studio will come back to you with the cost before anything is dispatched.

How should natural-dyed cloth be washed?

Natural dye keeps moving for the first few washes. Expect a little colour in the water early on, and expect the shade to settle rather than fade. Cold water, a mild soap and drying out of direct sun is the safe default. For instructions for one particular piece, ask, and the studio will tell you what that dye needs.

Can I visit the studio?

Yes, by arrangement. The street address is not published on this page, so call +91 79976 42199 or send a WhatsApp message and the studio will give you directions and a time.

Annapurna Kalamkari

Hand-drawn kalamkari on handloom cotton and silk. This page needs JavaScript, so reach the studio directly at pitchukaramesh18@gmail.com, call +91 79976 42199, or find us on Instagram.