handicrafts

Kalamkari is a craft of painted and printed fabrics. It derives its name from kalam or pen with which the patterns are traced. It is an art form that developed both for decoration and religious ornamentation. The discovery of a resist-dyed piece of cloth on a silver vase at the ancient site of Harrapa confirms that the tradition of Kalamkari is very old. Even the ancient Buddhist Chaitya Viharas were decorated with Kalamkari cloth. The great Alexander is also supposed to have acquired this Kalamkari cloth.In andhra Pradesh, Kalmkari is done in machilipatnam and Srikalahasti.

Ikat:-

Ikat, the technique by which the wrap or weft or both be tie-dyed in such a way that when woven, the 'programmed' pattern appears in finished fabric. Of resist-dye techniques, the use of clay or wax-resist has long been known to Indian textile printers and painters, who would stamp or delineate the fabric with resist and then immerse and reimmerse in dye. To reserve areas of the warp or weft or both, before the process of weaving with tied threads, and then to dye the yarn, is more interesting process that requires greater skill. And this seems to be more closely aligned to weaving, than to the application of impression of a resist to the surface of a fabric.

Saris:-

Andhra has the bright Venkatagiri saris which are woven with the help of a fly-shuttle loom, thrown from side to side. Venkatagiri saris have a pleasant colors with gold dots, coins, leaves , parrots, or simple geometrical patterns. Narayanpet saris, in cotton and silk, some from place with the same name. The cotton saris woven in dark earthy colors are particularly eye catching. The Gadwal cotton and Kothakota sarisfrom Vanaparti have a rich gold borders and heavy panels like pallvas.

Crochet Lace:-

Introduced in the middle of the 19th century to provide employment to the poverty striken women of the area, lace work was, to start with, sent to friends and relatives abroad as gifts which were highly appreciated. Starting with a mere dozen designs, the local skills were use to evolve as many as 300 designs over the years which speaks of the high artistic sense of the artisans. The raw materials and implements required for this industry are simple, consisting of only a hooked needle and cotton thread. The thread used is twisted mercerised cotton thread. The craft is carried on by thousands of women working part time at their homes in Narsapur and Palakol areas of West Godavri District and Razole Taluka of East Godavri District.

Banjara Embroidery:-

Think of nomads, caravaners, gypsies and you think of them as "free people". Free from the binds of urban life, they evoke dreams of the life spirit roaming without fetters. And is from this that the Banjaras in Andhra Pradesh seem to have captured their exuberant clothes. Nomads in the past, the Banjaras today aggregate in groups called tandas. Staying in communes they still strive to preserve the fascinating and unpredictable traditions of their ancestors. tattooed women with hands weighed down by ivory bangles create the memorable mirror work which the Banjaras are famous for.

d3"History:Andhra Pardesh was once a major Buddhist centre and part of Ashoka's empire until it broke apart. Traces of early still remain in several places, particularly Amaravathi. the Sanchi of Andhra Pardesh. Later, in the 7th century, the chalukyas held power, but they in turn fell to the Chola kingdom of the south around the 10th century. It was this dynasty that built the vast and almost impregnable stone fortress of Golconda - one of India's most impressive monuments . The near by tombs of the rulers of this Muslim dynasty rival those of the Delhi sultans and the early Mughals in size and splendor. The general's successors, the Nizams of Hyderabad, ruled the state right through to Independence.

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