Kalamkari is a type of hand-printed or hand-block-printed cotton textile. Kalamkari refers to the ancient style of hand painting that is done with a tamarind pen using natural dyes. The literal meaning of Kalamkari is kalam, which means pen, and kari, which refers to craftsmanship, which is derived from a Persian word. Motifs drawn in this ancient art of Kalamkari include flowers, peacocks, paisleys and also divine characters from the Ramayana and Mahabharata. Kalamakari was born out of the art of storytelling. In ancient times, people used to travel from village to village and tell stories; some of them even drew them on canvas. This was how the art of Kalamkari was born. This art is primarily used to make kalamkari sarees. During the Mughal era, this art of Kalamkari gained recognition. Kalamkari is a very detailed and complicated painting that results in beautiful and elegant designs. Kalamkari designs and colours are very vibrant and bright. After becoming world-famous, the artisans modernised Kalamkari designs and came up with new ideas and themes. These artisans came up with innovative ideas highly influenced by Persian motifs, Hindu mythology, and religious symbols, which gave an identity to Kalamkari designs. Kalamkari designs are generally drawn by hand using a pen, and the filling is also completely done by hand. Kalamkari art is generally done using earthy colours like mustard, indigo, rust, green, and black. Natural dyes are used to paint colors in Kalamkari art that are extracted by blending jaggery, iron fillings, and water, and they are also used for outlining sketches. Alum is also used for making natural dyes for Kalamkari fabric and for treating the fabric. Alum ensures the stability of the colour in Kalamkari fabric. This fabric has a characteristic shine because it is soaked in resin and cow milk. Different effects on the Kalamkari fabric are achieved by using cow dung, seeds, crushed flowers, and different varieties of plants. After every single application of dye on Kalamkari fabric, it needs to be dyed for better results. Kalamkari art, in its recent applications, is seen depicting Buddha and Buddhist art forms. In India, a lot of people are engaged in making handloom sarees, and Kalamkari sarees are one such handloom work that requires art, dedication, and love for paintings. Kalamkari sarees are considered a rich and elegant choice.