Cheriyal

Etymology: The name Cheriyal is derived from the village known as Cheriyal in the Warangal district of Telangana. During the Nizam rule, this painting was known as 'naqash' which means to draw or sketch.

Origin: This 400-year-old art form is a stylized version of the Nakashi painting, which was bought back by the Mughals in the 16th century. The Cheriyal scroll painting is a ritually significant practice of purification and prosperity.

Location: Cheriyal, a small town in Telangana (previously in Andhra Pradesh) around 100 km from Hyderabad, is one of the few villages in India where this art is practised.

Community: The artists who paint these paintings are the Nakashis. Telangana's social and cultural environment is reliant on these scrolls. Cheriyal scrolls are artworks that were mostly produced in the Cheriyal village.

Relevance: Cheriyal paintings serve as a visual medium for illustrating the stories from their daily life, surroundings, and mythologies.

Historical background: The Cheriyal painting is a folk tradition that originated in the Cheriyal village of Telangana. It is presently created only in Hyderabad of Telangana, India. In the past, these paintings were popular in Andhra Pradesh and other regions of the country. However, they were each flavoured with their own distinctive styles and other regional quirks determined by regional customs and traditions. The majority of these paintings were only found in Cheriyal village, hence the name Cheriyal scrolls were given. The scrolls served as a picturesque backdrop to the oral traditions of common people in the past.

Culture and Societies: Every village had its unique characteristics, favourite heroes and heroines, and a collection of tales based on regional myths. This traditional art is regarded as an essential aspect of the society of storytellers and balladeers known as Kakin Padagollu. The community of traditional artists, or 'naqash', creates storytelling groups, who then use the scroll paintings they have created to narrate different oral literature. Each society of narrators is reliant on the particular patron jati (caste) to which they relate their Jati Purana (etiological myths). These painters were employed by the courts to produce photographic documentation of the court hearings and other themes associated with courtly life during the reign of the Nizams.

Religious significance: The episodes from Indian mythological epics including the Ramayana, Mahabharata, Garuda Purana, Krishna Leela, Markandeya Purana, and Markandeya and Bhavana Rishi are typically depicted in Cheriyal paintings.

Legends: In some villages, offering a goat as a sacrifice was common after the story was read aloud from the scroll.

Central motifs and their significance: The background of the paintings were painted in a rich red tone to highlight the figures. And other motifs such as architectural elements, environment, fauna, flora, birds, and rituals are drawn to portray the lives of common people. Apart from painting, the unique Cheriyal masks are made from tamarind seed paste and sawdust, which is then moulded into clay. Without using any moulds, craftsmen meticulously hand-cast the features, such as eyes, lips, and nose. However, traditional methods have been modified by contemporary painters to help commercialise the paintings and increase their appeal to younger audiences.

Medium used: Earlier, the base fabric, on which the painting was created, used to be made of khadi cotton and a variety of natural elements. All of these colours were obtained from natural sources. The natural colour stone along with water which was added was carefully mashed to create a thick paste. Squirrel hair was used for brushes.

Style: The daily activities of communities like fishermen, toddy tappers, cobblers, fruit gatherers, etc. are highlighted by the paintings as well as the narrators depict their stories to the common people in a cinematic way. A simple floral border is seen in each painting which adds beauty to the art.

Process: Earlier, a Khadi cotton fabric used to be covered with a thick paste composed of cooked rice starch, white clay, gum, and boiled tamarind seed paste to create a strong base for painting. The figurines and other components were sketched on the cloth. The drawings were then precisely outlined with the brush directly to give them definitions. The paintings were then coloured. After the painting was finished, the borders were adorned with leaves and flowers.

Apart from painting, the unique Cheriyal masks are made from tamarind seed paste and sawdust, which is then moulded into clay. Without using any moulds, craftsmen meticulously hand-cast the features, such as eyes, lips, and nose. Traditional methods have been modified by contemporary painters to help commercialise the paintings and increase their appeal to younger audiences.

Cheriyal artists have expanded their art beyond scroll paintings to meet modern demand. The Dhanalakota family, who can be regarded as carrying the art form's spark, has been practising the traditions of the Cheriyal for more than four generations.

1. Dallapiccola, A.L. (2011) Indian Painting The Lesser Known Traditions. New Delhi: Niyogi Books.

2. Mittal, J. (2014) Deccani Scroll Paintings. Hyderabad: Jagdish and Kamla Mittal Museum of Indian Art.