Nirmal

Etymology: This painting takes its name from the Nirmal district in Telangana, India.

Origin: This artwork has been practised for more than 400 years. This art form emerges from the Nirmal, a tribal-inhabited town of the Nirmal district of Telangana.

Location: These lacquered woodwork paintings today are made in Hyderabad and Nirmal.

Community: The Nakkash or Naqash community has been making these oil paintings on canvases for centuries.

Relevance: The paintings are recognized for their glossy finish and lifelike style, which incorporates elements of Mughal and Kangra of Pahari miniature paintings as well as Ajanta cave art.

Background: Nirmal art can be traced back to the 14th century during the era of the Kakatiya empire. This town is well-known throughout the nation and is regarded as the gifted land of art and crafts. The artisans' community in Nirmal is also known as Naqash or Nakkash. The Naqash has been practising this art form which has its name from the region itself. The Mughals admired this art so much that they patronized the skill and art. It was in the 1950s that 'Lady Hyderi' brought these artisans to the princely state of Hyderabad and promoted their craft.

Culture and Societies: In the Andhra town of Nirmal, there is a group of painters known as the Naqash or Nakkash. Nirmal paintings on canvas have been created by artists for millennia. The Indian epics, mythology, and environment serve as the inspiration for Nirmal's paintings. The Nirmal Paintings include elements of Mughal miniature art.

Religious significance: Nirmal paintings are heavily influenced thematically by the Hindu epics of Ramayana and Mahabharata. The central theme of these paintings traditionally begins with influences from religious scriptures and Puranas.

Legends: It is said that Naqqashi families and *Jhingar *artists were brought to Nirmal place from Rajasthan in the 17th century by Nimma Naidu. The name Nimmala was given to these artisans by Nimma Naidu and later formulated for Nirmal over the years.

Central motifs and their significance: Traditionally, Nirmal artists painted scenes from the Hindu epics of Ramayana and Mahabharata, and also illustrated famous legends from the Puranas as well, since the artisans were brought in from Hyderabad to Adilabad by Lady Hyderi. Hence, some of the themes of these paintings have drawn influence from Ajanta and other Mughul art as well.

Mediums used: The artisans utilised naturally extracted pigments for painting and created paintings on surfaces such as the wall and wooden boards or planks. The wooden base was sourced from the thella poliki, ponikai, or ponnikki tree and was supported by multiple coats of pip clay, fine muslin, and the paste of tamarind seeds. The paints were extracted from minerals, herbs, and various semi-precious gems.

Style: These paintings display their influence from the Ajanta cave paintings and varied Mughal art styles in the way portraitures are made and the way flora is depicted in the Nirmal paintings. The colourful subjects stand in contrast to a pitch-black background. Usually, the subjects are isolated and rarely ever a scene or multiple subjects can be witnessed in these paintings. Vibrant hues and tones of colours such as red, yellow, orange, blue, and green are incorporated.

The women are portrayed with fluidity and grace, they usually have soft and monotoned facial expressions. The women are usually seen carrying out occupational activities, dancing independently or with a partner or are seen posing dramatically. A golden border for decoration is always added as it binds the painting together forming a finished piece.

Process: To create these paintings artisans would follow many laborious steps. Firstly, the ponnikki tree wood is cut into the desired size. Thereafter, to strengthen it, a liquid paste of tamarind seeds and water is added to pip clay to the desired consistency and coated on top of the wooden plank. This solution is called Lappam. Additional cots of lappam are applied to the frame, and it acts as a plaster that smoothens out any ridges and depression on the surface. After the surface is coated with lappam, it is left to dry for a while following which the final sketch is drawn or traced on it. Once this step is complete, colours are filled in and metallic embellishments are added to the painting. Finally, a coat of lacquer is applied to the finished painting to give it a lustrous shine and finish.

The succeeding artisans experimented with other schools of art and styles too They drew inspiration from the Mughal miniature, Kangra miniatures, Ajanta cave paintings, and more styles as such. In more recent years, there is a steady decline in Nirmal crafts. To remedy this, an artisan-run organisation known as the 'Nirmal Toys and Arts Industries Cooperative Society Ltd.' was established under which each artisan makes a particular type of product. These products are sold either directly by the cooperative or through government-run stores. In 2009, Nirmal paintings and toys were granted a Geographical Indications (GI) tag by the Indian government.

History and culture of the Andhras. (1995). Hyderabad: Komarraju Venkata Lakshmana Rau Vijnana Sarvaswa Sakha, Telugu University.