The Sikalnayakanpet hand painted sari stands apart from the Kodalikaruppur sari hand painted by descendants of Naidu families who migrated to Karuppur in the 16th century. Later, a small group migrated to Sikalnayakanpet. Today Sikalnayakanpet Kalamkari is practised by the Karuppur Kalamkari Foundation started by late Shilpa Guru Emburumal as well as by Krishnamurthy and his son Rajagopal.
What sets the Sikalnayakanpet sari apart is the method of producing and applying the dyes. The artist draws and hand paints the designs. Therefore, each piece is a one-of-a-kind piece of art. It was heritage expert, Martand Singh, who created the brand of Sikalnayakanpet saris. Later, a distinctive logo of a two headed Yaali was added to the brand. Today, the craft of Kalamkari painting on Sikalnayakanpet saris rests in the expert hands of Rajmohan. He produces painted saris which are unique, one-of-a-kind saris, in the traditional colours of red, yellow and black as well as in the larger design repertoire of Sikalnayakanpet artists.
Tracing its origins back to the Nayaka dynasty in the 16th Century, 20 families, who were engaged in the craft, moved from Hubli to Kodalikaruppur now in present day Tamil Nadu. “These artisans were initially involved in creating temple art that resembled the Kalamkari from Kodalikaruppur, which was patronised by the Nayaka Kings. After the fall of the dynasty, they further split and the two families settled in Sikalnayakanpet.”
Rajmohan comes from a family of temple decorators who went on to make what are called Sikalnayakanpet saris, the fabric that has made the Sikalnayakanpet town near Kumbakonam famous. Hand-painted in a combination of vermilion, chrome yellow and black, it is often referred to as the `Kalamkari of Tamil Nadu'. “Even though the saris are in a 3-tone combination in colour, Raj Mohan goes on to explain why it is so difficult to paint these saris ... “It's not as easy as we think ... since the saris are 6 metres. They have to be finished in a single stroke and the uniformity of colour has to be maintained.” Rajmohan's is the only family that has mastered the art and covets it like a prized secret. And yet, what Rajmohan likes doing is paint. After passing out of Kumbakonam School of Arts and Crafts, the young man decided to head where the money was - Contemporary Art. "My family makes Sikalnayakanpet saris too," says Rajmohan, "but we're not making too many of them." His father, M. Permual, who recently passed away, was a National Award winner.
Dyes used : Organic, Vegetable colours like Turmeric, Iron rust and Jabal seeds. Black: Jaggery, Iron rust, Coal fermented for 48 days. Manjishtha or Madder dye for Vermillion Red and Turmeric for yellow
Tools used: A hard brush made of coconut stem. At least 3 to 4 coatings of colour are applied, to maintain the uniformity.
Process: The sari is first soaked for about 3-4 days in Boondi Kottai (Reetha or Soapnut), Milk and Nutmeg to obtain the softness.”
