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Indian Art, Culture & Heritage20 Concepts & Facts

Cheriyal Scroll Painting of Telangana GK Facts, Overview & Study Guide

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Cheriyal scroll painting is a rare indigenous visual art and storytelling tradition native to Cheriyal village in the Siddipet district of Telangana. As a distinct local expression of the broader Deccani Nakashi painting style, this art form flourished historically as a narrative device for travelling performers. Wandering balladeers and bardic troupes carried these long scrolls across village settlements to illustrate episodes from Hindu epics, local legends, and caste origin stories known as caste Puranas. Measuring up to forty feet in length and containing around fifty sequential narrative panels, the scrolls were unrolled gradually inside village courtyards to accompany musical recitals, bringing cultural education and moral entertainment to agrarian audiences.

The creation of an authentic Cheriyal scroll follows an elaborate, multi-stage process passed down through generations within the Nakashi artisan community. The canvas is prepared using handloom khadi fabric, which is coated with a natural sizing paste concocted from boiled tamarind seed flour and tree resin. Once dry, the artisans apply multiple coats of a priming solution containing Sudha Matti, a white porcelain clay, mixed with rice starch and animal glue, before polishing the cloth with a smooth river stone. The resulting surface is remarkably smooth and durable. A trademark aesthetic hallmark of Cheriyal painting is the rich crimson or scarlet background wash, over which figures are painted in primary mineral tones. Each narrative panel is demarcated by decorative floral borders, framing sequential scenes of epic journeys, royal courts, and village festivals.

Cheriyal art is also renowned for its three-dimensional handicrafts, particularly expressive wooden and sawdust masks representing characters from the Ramayana, Mahabharata, and rural folklore. Traditional artists craft these vibrant masks using a mixture of light teakwood, coconut shells, tamarind seed paste, and sawdust. To protect this cultural treasure from industrial obsolescence, Cheriyal Scroll Painting was officially granted the Geographical Indication tag in 2008. Dedicated master craftsmen, such as National Award recipient Dhanalakota Vaikuntam, have preserved the purity of the art by maintaining natural pigment preparation methods while creating compact framed paintings to engage contemporary collectors worldwide.

Key Concepts & Self-Assessment20 Key Facts

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#1
Cheriyal scroll painting is a traditional narrative scroll art practiced exclusively in Cheriyal village in the Siddipet district of Telangana.
#2
The art form represents a regional stylized evolution of the Deccani Nakashi painting tradition, which was influenced by Kakatiya temple murals and Mughal miniature styles.
#3
Cheriyal paintings were historically commissioned by itinerant balladeer communities, including the Kaki Padagollu, Dakkali, Asadi, and Baindla troupes.
#4
Traditional performers displayed the scrolls to illustrate caste Puranas, which are oral mythologies explaining the sacred origins and genealogy of specific artisan and service castes.
#5
The scrolls traditionally illustrated themes from the Markandeya Purana for Padmashali weavers, the Bhavana Rishi story for Gouda toddy tappers, and the Jambava Purana for leather artisans.
#6
A traditional Cheriyal narrative scroll can measure up to 40 to 45 feet in length and roughly 3 feet in width, containing between 40 and 50 sequential vertical panels.
#7
During village performances, the scroll was suspended from a bamboo frame or tree branch and unrolled vertically panel by panel as the balladeer sang.
#8
The canvas base is crafted from unbleached handloom khadi cotton cloth, treated to achieve longevity and structural flexibility.
#9
Canvas sizing uses a natural paste made from boiled tamarind seed powder (chinta ginjala podi) blended with tree gum (tiruman).
#10
The priming coat consists of multiple layers of Sudha Matti (fine local white clay), rice starch, and tamarind paste, which is burnished using a smooth river pebble.
#11
A signature visual hallmark of Cheriyal painting is its vibrant crimson or scarlet red background, which makes the foreground characters stand out sharply.
#12
Artisans use natural mineral and vegetable pigments: white from crushed sea shells, yellow from turmeric and orpiment, black from lamp soot, and blue from indigo leaves.
#13
Figures in Cheriyal art feature distinctive regional aesthetics, including sharp profiles, wide almond-shaped eyes, and traditional Deccani costumes and jewellery.
#14
Individual narrative scenes are separated by continuous floral and leafy borders, providing a structured comic-strip layout for village audiences.
#15
In addition to flat cloth scrolls, Cheriyal Nakashi artisans craft three-dimensional masks and small figurines using coconut shells, light wood, sawdust, and tamarind seed paste.
#16
The three-dimensional Cheriyal masks depict figures from the Ramayana and rural Telangana life, serving both decorative and theatrical purposes.
#17
Cheriyal Scroll Painting received official Geographical Indication (GI) status in 2008 under the Handicrafts category for Telangana (originally registered in Andhra Pradesh).
#18
The Nakashi community traces its ancestry back to traditional woodcarvers and painters who enjoyed royal patronage under the Kakatiya, Vijayanagara, and Golconda rulers.
#19
Master artist Dhanalakota Vaikuntam received the National Award in 1993 for his lifelong contribution to reviving Cheriyal scroll art and training future generations.
#20
In modern times, Cheriyal artisans produce smaller, single-panel paintings on cloth and wood to adapt to the aesthetic demands of contemporary art collectors.

Subject Specialist Commentary

Analytical perspective & practical exam advice from the Master10 academic board

Educator's Insight
Cheriyal scroll painting is Telangana's celebrated visual storytelling craft, practiced by the Nakashi artisan community. Painted on khadi cloth treated with tamarind seed paste and white clay, each scroll features dramatic human and divine figures set against an intense crimson background. These scrolls historically served as visual aids for wandering bards who narrated mythological epics and community histories across rural villages.
In competitive exams such as UPSC Prelims and Telangana State PSC (TSPSC), art and culture questions often explore regional scroll traditions and GI-tagged crafts. Do not confuse Cheriyal scroll painting with Phad painting of Rajasthan or Pattachitra of Odisha and West Bengal; while all are cloth scrolls, Cheriyal is distinct for its brilliant red backdrop and tamarind-sawdust masks. For effortless exam recall, memorize the phrase: "Crimson Cheriyal from Telangana brings Nakashi tales to life."

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