How Kalamkari Motifs Reveal More than It Meets the Eye

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By Anushka Roy Bardhan

7 min read

  • Art
  • Storytelling
  • Handmade Art
  • Mythology

    • Table of Contents

    Introduction

    The word Kalamkari comes from the Persian terms ‘kalam’, meaning pen, and ‘kari’, meaning craftsmanship. It is a name that, quite literally, means art with a pen.

    Kalamkari is famous for its two distinct forms. The Srikalahasti style is known for its freehand drawing, a meditative process where artisans illustrate stories from Hindu epics using bamboo pens and natural dyes. The Machilipatnam style, on the other hand, uses carved wooden blocks for repetitive, decorative motifs as a base, followed by intricate designs using the Kalam. These designs are more ornamental, but no less profound.

    Both styles rely on natural dyes derived from plants, roots, and minerals. The process is painstaking but poetic; a cloth may go through more than a dozen stages before it is ready. There are no shortcuts in Kalamkari. Only stories worth telling, slowly.

    Motifs as a Language of the Divine

    Kalamkari motifs are messages, symbols steeped in myth, culture, and ecology, designed to be felt and understood.

    Mythological motifs are at the heart of Kalamkari. These are taken from the chapters of Ramayana, Mahabharata, and Puranas, retold with reverence and flair.

    Lord Krishna is often seen serenading the world beneath a Kadamba tree, while Lord Shiva performs the cosmic Tandava. Goddess Durga rides into battle with grace and power. Each figure is rendered with intention and composed within a world that seems to breathe around them. and surrounded by a world that breathes with them.

    Tree of Life: Kalamkari painting by Harinath.N

    In Kalamkari, divinity takes form in colours, becoming accessible, almost tangible, for the viewer. An artwork alive with spirit, story, and sacred presence.

    Among all Kalamkari motifs, floral forms reign supreme. They are the quiet carriers of beautiful meaning as well as deeply symbolic.

    The lotus, or Kamal, represents purity and spiritual awakening. It often forms the seat of deities, grounding their presence in divinity. The mango motif, or Kairi, also seen in the stylized Ambi or Buta pattern signifies prosperity and fertility, its paisley curve echoing infinity.

    Creepers, or Lata, wind through scenes like poetic connectors, representing growth, continuity, and the interconnectedness of life. These floral motifs are more than aesthetic; they are the visual mantras of the cloth.

    Nature’s creatures too find voice like peacocks for pride and beauty, elephants for wisdom and strength, cows for nurturing abundance, and fish and turtles represented as Vishnu’s early avatars. Even the Tree of Life, a recurring motif, reminds us of balance, between roots and sky, life and beyond.

    Tree of Life : Kalamkari Painting by Sudheer

    In Kalamkari, animals are never just decorative. They are ancient storytellers wrapped in symbolic fur, feathers, and fables. Each creature holds a myth within, offering not just aesthetic grace but profound meaning.

    The peacock, with its feathers unfurling tales of pride, love and devotion. As the mount or vahana of Saraswati and Kartikeya, it speaks of knowledge and youthful energy.

    Elephants, drawn in rhythmic procession or flanking temple deities, carry connotations of memory, wisdom and divine strength - guardians of sacred space and order.

    Cows, eternal symbols of nurturing abundance, often appear near Krishna or in pastoral scenes.

    The turtle, subtle yet profound, is often symbolic of Vishnu’s Kurma avatar, grounding the churning of the oceans - both literal and metaphorical.

    Fish, agile and fluid, gesture towards the myths of creation and promise of regeneration, especially through the Matsya avatar of Shri Vishnu.

    The animals do not float in isolation. They are placed with great care - beside the creepers, beneath the trees, on thresholds - forming a rhythmic ecology.

    Kalamkari is meticulously geometric. Borders are not merely decorative; they hold the story in place, just like verses hold meaning in a poem. Mandala motifs, circular, symmetrical, spiritual, speak of focus, eternity, and the cosmos. Repetitive geometric borders establish rhythm and movement, leading the eye and centering the narrative. Put together, it becomes a framework, a sacred scaffolding upon which all else rests.

    Enlightened Radiance: Circles of Enlightenment Kalamkari Painting by Siva Reddy

    Not all creatures in Kalamkari are of this world or the cosmic order, but lay somewhere in between, as protectors of the sacred space. The mythical creatures are the guardians, thresholds, liminal beings that stand between the visible and the divine.

    The Yali, a lion-like composite creature with half-lion and half-elephant, often curls into borders or flanks the temple structures. Ferocious and majestic, the Yali doesn’t merely protect - it challenges, asking the viewers to step into a world of deeper truths. It is a symbol of untamed power, mastered by faith.

    The Makara, a half-terrestrial and half-aquatic being, swims through the corners of Kalamkari compositions. Often imagined with the jaws of a crocodile and the trunk of an elephant, or the body of a fish. This creature is the vehicle of Goddess Ganga or Varuna, the God of the ocean. In Makara lies the balance of the opposites - water and land, chaos and order.

    Garuda, the eagle- mount (vahana) of Vishnu, is a rare but potent creature in Kalamkari. It is a force of speed, vision and righteousness.

    These creatures, in the margins and woven into stories, are not incidental. They are the symbols of transformation - part animal, part divine, always powerful.

    Not every motif is of gods and galaxies. Many showcase village life, music, and ritual. These scenes are humble and human, like women drawing water, farmers at work, musicians with veenas and drums.

    Kalamkari has always balanced the cosmic with the commonplace. These folk motifs celebrate the everyday, anchoring the sacred in the soil. They serve as a reminder that beauty resides in the everyday.

    Placement is the Architecture of Meaning

    In Kalamkari, where a motif is placed matters just as much as what it shows. Most artworks begin with a central figure like a god or goddess, placed right at the heart of the design. This main figure draws your attention, while other elements like trees, animals, birds, and stars are carefully arranged around it to complete the story.

    Each part of the design has a role. Creepers and vines flow across the fabric, connecting different scenes and adding a natural rhythm. Borders help frame the artwork and guide the viewer’s eye across the piece. Circular patterns or mandalas are sometimes used to focus attention on important parts or to bring a sense of calm and balance.

    Nothing in Kalamkari is added by chance. Every shape, space, and pattern comes together to form one complete, flowing story.

    Tree of Life Kalamkari Painting by Siva Reddy

    Kalamkari in Contemporary World

    Kalamkari in times of trending modern and minimal design has found fresh ground. Designers are collaborating with artisans to translate these traditional visuals onto contemporary canvases like the handwoven sarees, luxury kaftans, framed artworks, cushion covers, and even wall murals. The symbolism remains the same, but the scale, colour, and context has evolved.

    What was once temple art is now wearable philosophy. What once belonged to ritual now is a part of everyday life and without ever losing its soul. With platforms like Memeraki and a new generation of design houses championing craft-led luxury, Kalamkari is being lived, worn, and reinterpreted by conscious consumers around the world.

    Vibrant Tapestry of Trees: Kalamkari Painting by Sudheer

    A Story of Motifs Still Being Written

    Kalamkari is an art of continuity, a way of keeping stories, traditions, and emotions alive through design. It’s about retelling the same stories across generations, each time with the same care and devotion.

    The motifs in Kalamkari are not chosen at random. Each one carries a special meaning. The design patterns represent life, connection, and continuity, as if they’re tying every part of the story together. Through simple yet powerful symbols, Kalamkari keeps culture alive in every line and colour.

    And so, the next time your eyes rest on a Kalamkari motif, apart from admiring its beauty, ask it what story it’s telling.

    To understand Kalamkari is not just to see - but to read, to feel, to listen. What appears ornamental is often philosophical. The eye sees the pattern, but the spirit sees the story.

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