Table of content
- History
- Themes, colours, characteristics
- Process
Introduction
India has a long and fantastic history of storytelling. What adds an interesting dimension to these stories is the way they were presented to the wider audience. One such tradition that falls into this category is that of creating scroll paintings. India has a long history of scroll artistry that involves the articulation and transmission of the immersive, sensory-rich experience of storytelling. The Pattachitra paintings of Odisha and Bengal, the Phad scroll art of Rajasthan and the Cheriyal scroll paintings of Telangana are some of the important examples of scroll art of India.
Rural village life by Sai kiran
Cheriyal painting deftly captures the essence of the rural landscape
In the past, these art forms engaged the anticipating audience by singing ballads and unveiling art that highlighted episodes from the epics, legendary tales and even domestic village life. About 100 kilometers north of Telangana’s capital, Hyderabad, lies a village named Cheriyal. The Cheriyal paintings practised in this village continue to hold their distinctive qualities. A typical, traditional Cheriyal scroll would be as long as 45 to 50 metres. In response to changing times and a fall in the demand for the longer version, artists today are compelled to produce abridged versions of the art form. A unique feature of this art is that it also includes masks.
History
The Cheriyal scroll paintings, like many other scroll painting traditions, were culturally and socially essential to the community. Cheriyal art, which also goes by the name of Deccani scroll paintings, was inspired by many art traditions of Deccan or South India, and with the Temple art and Kalamkari traditions.
These unique paintings are crafted by artists known as Nakashis, who hail from non-dominant caste communities in the region, including Madiga, Goud, Mudiraj, Mala, Padmashali, Chakali, and others. These intricate narratives often feature folktales and caste-specific interpretations of stories from the Puranas, the Mahabharata, and the Ramayana.
During a typical recitation, a group of five performers would embark on a village-to-village journey, two members of the team would take on the role of narrating the story, while the remaining members would play instruments like the Harmonium, Tabla, and Castanets.
In the early days, Kaki Podagollu bards, a storytelling community, would travel from village to village singing ballads, and narrating stories. These balladeers commissioned Cheriyal artists who hand-painted long scrolls for them. Typically, these scroll paintings were designed to help the storytellers sequentially unfold their narratives aligning with the episodes depicted.
In the 1980’s All India Handicraft Board (AIHB), now the Development Commissioner (DC) of Handicraft developed an interest in Cheriyal painting as a part of its initiatives to sustain Indian handicrafts. In 2007, it achieved a Geographical Indication (GI) tag for its distinctive style.
Themes, Colours, Characteristics
As one of the richly composed art forms, Cheriyal art is layered with endless elements. While the artworks cover a range of themes inspired by mythology, epics and folk narratives, some of the most celebrated ideas are inspired by the events found in Mahabharata, Ramayana, Markandya Puranam, and Shiva Puranam. Of which, episodes around Krishna and Rama- the two prominent avatars of Vishnu- are the most well-known. These episodes would include Rama’s wedding with Sita, the princess of Mithila, and Rama protecting sages from demons. At the same time, they depict the characters performing yajna or ritual offerings, Krishna with his cohort, and cows and so on.
A simple village scene depicting common people engaged in their daily duties
Dashavtar in Cheriyal By Sai Kiran
Dashavatar, or the 10 principal Avatars of Vishnu also known as Narayan or Hari. One of the key Gods in Hinduism.
The local Cheriyal artists deeply understand the significance of the everyday life of the rural farmers and their families. This is reflected in the depiction of local agricultural practices such as ploughing fields with the aid of oxen and growing crops on fertile land, community gatherings, post-harvest celebrations with cooking and feasting and wedding events. This highlights the social and natural themes that Cheriyal artists often honour.The costumes and settings are reflective of Andhra's culture, where these remarkable paintings originated.
RURAL VILLAGE LIFE: CHERIYAL SCROLL PAINTING BY SAI KIRAN
The dominance of the red background, warm amber-toned bodies, and application of vibrant colours are some prime characteristics of Cheriyal art. Scrolls were culturally and socially significant at one time. Today, the artists make abridged versions of this art but the themes remain the same. Another form of Cheriyal that comes into the forefront is the Cheriyal masks. These masks are also modelled along the themes of ancient mythology, religious events and folklore.
These traditional scrolls were designed in a vertical format, presenting stories through a series of horizontal panels. A floral border in the middle separated the two panels, while the linear narrative was conveyed by either holding the scroll in both hands or suspending it from a tree building while continuously rolling it. Similar to oversized comic strips, each panel of the scroll illustrated a distinct part of the story, resulting in an average of around 50 panels per scroll. As the tale is narrated, the panel corresponding to that specific part of the story would be unveiled. Additionally, the choice of episodes and iconography of each deity was carefully crafted to align with the caste for which the scroll was intended.
Process of preparing Cheriyal Scroll paintings:
- To prepare the Khadi cloth - A type of canvas obtained after the fabric is processed with a solution of rice starch, white clay, boiled tamarind seeds, and lac solution.
- Once the canvas is dry and ready, the artist outlines scenes and characters using graphite. These lines are skillfully made inside the framed canvas.
- With the use of bold, solid colours, the artists fill the characters and the motifs. They use both natural colours (extracted from stones, oil lamps, and sea shells)and commercially available colours. Bright red backgrounds are one of the defining features of the art form. Along with red, the palette features brilliant and non-glossy hues of blue, green, yellow, black and white.
- While black is extracted from soot, red is extracted from a type of stone called Iigligum and yellow from Pevadi stones.
- Red is the first colour that goes into the painting. After red, other colours are filled.
Artist preparing miniature Cheriyal masks
Cheriyal art is known for its eco-friendly approach. The scrolls are made using fabric and organic paste while the masks are created from natural ingredients like the dough of sawdust and tamarind paste. From an ecological perspective, such forms of art are even more important and in need of preservation in the modern world. The artworks cover numerous themes, the illustrations are detailed yet they are drawn with simplicity and in an animated style. This lends playfulness to the subject depicted in the art. Additionally, animal motifs, which include- hedgehogs, deer, gentle cows, and peacocks, further add to the vibrancy of the scenes.
Artist Sai Kiran in front of Cheriyal installation at the India Art, Architecture, Design Biennale, 2023.
In the past, Cheriyal scroll paintings enjoyed popularity not only in Telangana but also in various regions of Andhra Pradesh and other parts of the country with each community showcasing their distinct style and local nuances in these artworks, influenced by regional customs and traditions. However, with the advent of modern forms of entertainment such as television, cinema, and computers, Cheriyal scroll painting has found its last stronghold in the town of Cheriyal, where it continues to thrive and preserve its unique heritage. Cheriyal Paintings received a Geographical Indications (GI) tag in 2007 due to their unique traditional style. While there are only a few remaining artists who continue this traditional technique, modern innovations have led to the creation of single pictures for wall decorations
- “Cherial Scroll Painting.” Google Arts & Culture, artsandculture.google.com/story/GwUBPP7T1GHIKA.
- Anaïs Da Fonseca. “Continuity and Change in Contemporary Cheriyal Paintings from Telangana, India.” Academia.edu, School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London, 2016, www.academia.edu/107964148/Continuity_and_change_in_contemporary_Cheriyal_paintings_from_Telangana_India.
- “Colourful Masks from Cherial - Google Arts & Culture.” Google Arts & Culture, Google Arts & Culture, 2017, artsandculture.google.com/story/tAXRuSD-UCc-Iw.
- Satyavada, Neharika. “TBI Blogs: This Couple Is Trying to Preserve Telangana’s Fascinating Cheriyal Scroll Paintings.” The Better India, 31 May 2017, thebetterindia.com/101589/artisan-husband-wife-duo-legacy-cheriyal-paintings/.
- Satyavada, Neeharika. “Cheriyal Scroll Painting.” Telangana360.com, 30 Sept. 2017, www.telangana360.com/2017/09/cheriyal-scroll-painting.html.
- “The Epics, Tales, and Daily Life Stories in Cherial Paintings.” Google Arts & Culture, artsandculture.google.com/story/the-epics-tales-and-daily-life-stories-in-cherial-paintings-dastkari-haat-samiti/sgXBi7vbv3cnIw?hl=en.
- Priyanka Richi. “From Scrolls to Masks: How Telangana’s 400-Yr-Old Cheriyal Paintings Have Evolved.” The News Minute, The News Minute, 5 Sept. 2018, www.thenewsminute.com/telangana/scrolls-masks-how-telanganas-400-yr-old-cheriyal-paintings-have-evolved-87843#:~:text=%E2%80%9CThe%20scroll%20paintings%20are%20done%20on%20bright%20red.
0 comments