You can identify a kalamkari saree by its natural dyes, earthy tones, and imperfections. Kalamkari sarees are hand-painted or block-printed with natural dyes derived from plants, flowers, leaves, and tree bark.
The Kalamkari artists use natural dyes extracted from the bark, flower and the root of the plant. It is amazing to learn how these colours are obtained –red from the madder root, yellow from some flowers or the pomegranate seeds, or even from the mango bark, and the black colour from the myrobalam fruit and the like.