The rich heritage of arts and crafts
The pride of any region's heritage are the arts and crafts. And Telangana has a variety of magnificent arts and crafts to showcase. So come and dive into the rich tradition of the arts and crafts of Telangana.
The Arts
Nirmal Paintings
This style of painting originated in the hills and forests of Adilabad, in a town called Nirmal. The art community call themselves 'Nakkash'.
These paintings were patronised by the Mughals, and Lady Hyri brought them to Hyderabad for helping them develop. The traditional scenes which are painted are those from the Ramayana and Mahabharata. This style of painting was influenced by the Ajanta, Karga and Mughal miniatures. The predominant colour is gold, which is prepared from gum and vegetable dyes. |
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Deccani Paintings
The Deccani paintings are a style of miniature paintings which flourished during the late 16th century when the Deccan Sultanates were ruling. This style of paintings is influenced by Persian paintings as well as Vijaynagar wall paintings.
Floral backgrounds are used, alongside rich and luminous colours such as gold and white. |
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Kalamkari Paintings
The word Kalamkari is itself a clue about this art form. The word 'Kalam' means pen while 'Kari' means work. The designs are made using vegetable dyes. These paintings also incorporate Persian designs and motifs. Hand carved blocks are used for outlines and main features while the pen is used for finer detail.
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Cheriyal Scroll Paintings
The Cheriyal scroll paintings are a stylised version of Nakashi paintings. They are practised in the Cheriyal district of Warangal. They are mostly used by bards for storytelling. The scrolls are fixed between two poles and as the bards told the story, there would be a change in the scrolls. The community of these storytellers is known as ' Kaki Padagolu'. These people wander from place to place and tell stories using these scrolls. The predominant colour used is red.
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The Crafts
Bidri crafts
The Bidri Craft originated in Iran and immigrants brought it to India. The name is derived from Bidri town.
In this technique, silver is engraved on metal through 4 stages which are:
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Dokra metal Craft
Dokra Craft was earlier seen in Mohen jo daro (a city in the first civilisation of India). From then onwards, this Bell metal Craft (metallurgy with wax techniques) travelled from West Bengal to Chattisgad to Jharkhand to Orissa and finally to Telangana through tribals in the Adilabad district..
An ancient technique is used in the making of Dokra metal Craft. First casting of wax threads take place which are then wrapped in an inner core of clay model. Next, molten bronze or brass is poured into the opening covered with clay. This Craft involves extensive labour and each piece is unique. It is used for making idols of Gods and goddesses, figurines, caskets and many more decorative items. |
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Nirmala toys and handicarfts
Nirmala toys and handicrafts are craved out of Puniki Cheka (wood). This wood is flexible and light which makes it easy to cut into shapes. After the carving of the handicraft, it is coated with Chinta Leppam, a glue which is prepared from boiled tamarind seeds and sawdust. When the toy is coated with white clay and this glue all the ridges are smoothed out. After this colour is sprayed completing the product.
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Banjara Needle craftThis art from is practised by the Banjara tribals who reside in the Banjara Hills. The Banjara needle work has geometric patterns and is is found in a variety of hues and shades. The geometric patterns comprise squares, diamonds and triangles. It also has mirrors, beads and shells. It is used for making clothes, bags and bedspreads.
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Lacquer works
Lac is the predominant material used in this Craft from. Lac is a gummy deposit obtained from insects which are tiny and red in colour. They are only found on specific kinds of trees. These artefacts are made using a light wood called Ankudu Karna. Lax is applied on different coloured wood. This is done on bangles, bowls and vases etc.
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