The beautiful Kalamkari painting celebrates the happiness and joy of life with some nice patterns of colours and lines.  Kalamkari art is unique in its use of colour as a medium to portray mythological characters. As the nome de plume suggests, Kalamkari is the art of painting cotton fabrics with a kalam i.e. pen, a sharp pointed pierced bamboo that regulates flow of colour on the fabric. Kalamkari has a glorious history. The popularity of this exquisite form of art crossed the shores of the country during the 17th and 18th centuries. Kalahasti and Machilipatnam in Andhra Pradesh, the nerve centres of this art continue to be beehives of Kalamkari activity. Kalamkari colours are made from vegetable dyes. In addition to themes from the epics, Kalamkari leitmotifs comprise different forms of the lotus flower, the carwheel, parrots, an interlacing pattern of leaves and flowers.