This unique Kalamkari is over 25 years old and as is part of the painting tradition, draws heavily on the divine characters from Ramayana and Mahabharata. Kalamkari refers to the ancient style of hand painting done with a tamarind pen, using natural dyes. Under medieval Islamic rule, the term Kalamkari was derived from the words "kalam", which means "pen" in Telugu, and "kari", which means craftmanship. This became popular under the patronage of the Golconda sultanate. Motifs drawn in this ancient art of Kalamkari, include flowers, peacock, paisleys. Kalamkari colours are made mostly from vegetable dyes.