Telangana 360

Handloom to date remains one of the most rich traditional practice of the country. Geometric patterned durries remain the most famous durries from Warangal and are in demand both in national and international markets. Lack of self-branding and promotions are the reasons that Durries made in Warangal are unable to market their uniqueness. Warangal's famous durries are now available to the world: Weavers sell their products on  Amazon Recently, e-commerce giant Amazon signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Telangana Department of Handlooms and Textiles to help handloom clusters in Warangal, Pochampally etc.  Durries of Warangal to date remain one of the few crafts left in the country that is still done by hand. It is still amazing to find weaver’s making an entire durry with traditional looms even when the rise in technology has led to the introduction of Power looms.  In recent years, screen printing techniques and kalamkari prints were adapted to Warangal dur

Banjara needle craft is a needle craft embroidery in the state of Telangana. The craft has evolved through centuries across generations. It is an embroidery and mirror work on tapestry. The work pieces are bright-coloured. Banjara needle craft is unique to the region of Telangana. It involves use of simple needles, embroidery thread, original fabrics (cotton or woolen), and needs high proficiency in the craft. Combined together, they create splendid pieces of art. Needle work is the mainstay of this craft and the combination of certain patterns such as geometric shapes - squares, tracings and diamonds are widely used. The colourful threads used on the basic cloth along with tiny mirrors, beads and cowrie shells impart a vibrant look to the piece of cloth. The mirrors, beads and shells diverse style of stitching - herringbone, simple chain stitching, long and short stitch. Generally diverse colours such as pink, white, yellow and blue coloured clothes are used. In many instances, blu

The Narayanpet saree is made either of cotton or silk.  One school of thought states that in 1630 AD during Shivaji Maharaj’s campaign in the Deccan, the brightly coloured saris of the ladies caught his eye and thus the Narayanpet saree got its Royal Maratha Patronage. Other versions of the tale state that the weavers, who were part of Shivaji’s camp during a campaign, were the ones who stayed back and developed the form as we see it today. Much before the world was made aware of the concept of a global village, the Indian Subcontinent had embraced the idea. The merger of cultures of different princely states and regions in the country has produced some fantastic weaves and styles that are heralded to this day for their sheer beauty and exclusivity. The Narayanpet saree is one such example. These sarees have had the privilege of enjoying the royal patronage of the Marathas. Regarded as the garment of the Gods, Narayanpet sarees were used to drape the idols of deities and wor

Nirmal Toys world-famous wooden toys are made in the historic town of Nirmal in Telangana state derived its name from that of a 17th-century ruler, Nimma Naidu, who had a great interest in art and toy-making. Back then, he collected about 80 artists and started a toy-making industry that came to add cultural significance to the town. The Nirmal toy cluster has 60 families registered with the state rural self-help group, who keep the craft alive, making toys that are sold through state emporia. The cluster earns revenues in the range of Rs 3- 4 lakh per month. Considering that the cluster largely produces toys, which is a non-essential item, there is always the danger of artisans losing interest in this traditional craft and moving on to more lucrative occupations. However, the award of the Geographic Indication (GI) status to Nirmal toys in 2009 was a morale booster for them. The GI status acts as a flagging device that helps producers differentiate the Nirmal toys from competing pr

Nirmal Furniture is furniture made in Nirmal, Adilabad, Telangana, India. It received Geographical Indication rights in 2009.  It is handmade wooden furniture. Nirmal Painted Furniture, a Brand in Itself! Every region in India, is known for its unique culture and traditions, which have also influenced the local art. Nirmal town in northern part of Telangana state shares its unique, legendary identity in the arena of arts and crafts. The skill of the artisans and craftsmen of Nirmal town is well known, right from the pre-independence days. The origin of Nirmal art and craft is traced back to the Kakatiya era. Nirmal works were influenced by the Indian Schools of Art like Kangra, Ajanta and also the Mughal miniatures. It is even said that once the Nizam of Hyderabad was accorded a grand welcome when he visited Nirmal. The artisans decorated the venue and the seat of the Nizam in a very grand manner with an intricately designed banana bud which was believed to have been suspende

Karimnagar Silver Filigree is a silver filigree made in Karimnagar, India. It is an ancient art of Karimnagar. Karimnagar Silver Filigree received Intellectual property rights protection or Geographical Indication (GI) status in 2007. Silver filigree, the ancient art of making silver artefacts and ornaments by using silver wire, an art which Karimnagar town is famous for, cries for attention, protection and promotion of the age-old art and tradition. Silver filigree was popular during the Nizam era when the rulers encouraged the silversmiths to make the exquisite silver plates, ‘pandhan’ and other artefacts as show-pieces. These artefacts made by the silversmiths of Karimnagar were made available at Salar Jung Museum in Hyderabad. Since 19th Century AD, the very talented craftsmen of Karimnagar fashioned rich intricate trellis/Jali made of twisted silver wire. The locals say that this unique craft was adopted some 200 years ago by the Elgandal town near the Karimnagar

Gadwal Saree is a handcrafted woven sari style in Gadwal of Jogulamba Gadwal district in the Indian state of Telangana. Gadwal sarees are made from cotton and silk which is usually tussar or mulberry. “The dyeing is usually done at Chirala where the yarn is dipped in boiled coloured water at an extremely high temperature. Higher temperature means the colour will last a long time. It was registered as one of the geographical indication from Telangana by Geographical Indications of Goods (Registration and Protection) Act, 1999. Though Gadwal is the most famous of all, there is an entire of cluster of smaller villages also engaged in weaving these sarees. Over 800 looms are used every day at Rajoli village to create these seven yard beauties. All sarees produced here are sold to the master weavers of Gadwal, which is probably why Rajoli is overshadowed. Other notable villages where they are made are Gattu, Yemmiganur, Aiza and Nagaladinne. It takes painstaking effort over

Pochampally saree or Pochampalli Ikat originates from the Bhoodan Pochampally region in Yadadri Bhuvanagiri district, Telangana. These popular sarees are renowned by their typical geometric patterns and the special Ikat style of dyeing. The uniqueness of Pochampally Ikat is its ability to create extremely complicated designs using bright dyes. The fabrics used are natural – cotton, silk and sico (a combination of silk and cotton). The painstaking weave and meticulous eye for detail makes the Pochampally weavers stand apart and are revered throughout the textile industry. Chintakindi Mallesham, a Class 6 school dropout from Telangana, has innovated the Laxmi Asu Machine easing the taxing manual process of weaving Pochampally saris and helping weavers increase their production without putting their health at risk. Pochampally Ikat uniqueness lies in the transfer of intricate design and colouring onto warp and weft threads first and then weave them together globally known

Gollabhama Saree or Siddipet Gollabhama Cotton sarees are globally famous, and even have the Geographical Indication Tag. Though Siddipet Gollabhama sarees have a geographical indication tag, it hasn’t led to any boost in sales for the weavers. Sustaining this art means getting the weavers to incorporate the motifs in stoles, dupattas and scarves and use new colour palettes which is happening slowly.The weavers replicate these silhouettes to create alluring designs on their looms with cotton as well as silk yarns.  The saree is often in a single colour dotted with small gollabhama butas throughout the fabric, while the larger intricate motifs are showcased on the border and/or pallu (end-piece). Typically, three motifs are used for saree designs viz. Gollabhama, Bathukamma and Kolatam, with Gollabhama being the most commonly used. These sarees get their name from the decorative motifs that are used – the gollabhama(milkmaid). Gollabhama (milkmaid motif) woven onto the b

Cheriyal Scroll Painting is a stylized version of Nakashi art, rich in the local motifs peculiar to the Telangana. Several hundred years ago, Kaki Podagollu, a story telling community would travel through Telengana, singing and narrating stories, and depicting them in a visual format. An hour’s drive from Hyderabad is the village of Cheriyal in Siddipet district, Telangana. Here is where the famous ‘Cheriyal Scrolls’ come from.   These canvas scrolls made from Khadi are hand-painted in a style unique to the local motifs and iconography. Characterised by a dominance of the colour red in the background, these brilliantly hued paintings even received Geographical Indication Status in 2007. Painted in panels as a narrative, these are like comic strips from the past, depicting scenes and stories from Indian mythology and epics. Distinct in their style they immediately convey age-old Indian traditions and customs in a beautiful and engaging manner. Of which, both the Lords Krish

The Ramoji Film City located in Anaspur Village, Hayathnagar Mandal, Rangareddy, India. At 1633 acres, it is the largest integrated film city in the world. It is also a popular tourism and recreation centre, containing natural and artificial attractions including an amusement park.  The Outer Ring Road Phase 2 has acquired lands at the entrance and is set to intersect the city. Ramoji Film City is spread at over 2,000 acres of lands and it includes amusement parks, recreation centers, film sets and contains both natural and artificial attractions.  Ramoji Film City is located just 25 km drive towards South-East of the Hyderabad city, near the under construction outer ring road, it has the entrance of this privately held company.  The Ramoji Film city has been declared as the world’s largest film studio by Guinness World Records. Ramoji Rao the film producer is the head of Ramoji Group who is the founder of Ramoji Film City.  In 1996 RFC opened for people with the co

Dokra Metal craft is quite popular in the tribal regions of Telangana. Dhokra or Dokra also known as bell metal craft is a tribal metal craft widely seen in Jainoor Mandal, Adilabad District of Telangana.  Dhokra is an ancient bell metal craft practiced by the Ojha metal-smiths of Jharkhand, Odisha, Chhattisgarh, West Bengal and Telangana – the style and workmanship of the artisan community being different in different states. In Telangana, the Ojha artisans are also known as Wojaris or Ojjis who create brass metal art objects using the tedious but perfect lost wax technique while casting the metal.

The historic Mecca Masjid is located adjacent to Charminar in a south-west direction in Hyderabad, Telangana State, India. The construction of this mosque started in the year 1614 by Sultan Muhammad Qutb Shah and was completed in 1693. Built with local granite, it finds place among largest mosques in India and is the most important and largest one in the city. The arched gallery displays the tombs of all the Nizam’s from the year 1803.  Large enough to accommodate 10,000 worshipers, this beautiful mosque's 15 enormous arches and pillars were each wrought from single slabs of black granite dragged to the site by huge cattle trains reputedly consisting of up to 1,400 bulls. Taking its name from the bricks above the central gate that were brought here from Mecca, this impressive complex features highlights such as its main gateway, huge plaza, a large manmade pond, and a room that houses the hair of Prophet Mohammed.  Other notable features include inscriptions from the Q

Pembarti is 100Km from Hyderabad on National Highway (NH 163) to Warangal. The brassware of Pembarti is world famous. The air resounds with the continous clink and tap of mallets beating out brass sheets into fascinating and wonderful objects of art and utility. Originally stone carvers, the artists have left their handiwork in the facades of innumerable stone carvings and temples all over India. Then when brass became common, they experimented with this material. The buildings of Vijayanagar at Hampi are ruins now, but their lower stories were sheathed in beaten copper and brass by the ancestors of the Pembarti craftsmen. For some reason this widespread craft has survived only at the sleepy little village of Pembarti. Scholars tell us of a previous age when iron was not known and copper and alloys were used for making metal tools and objects of daily use. A small part of that age is still with us but mostly in objects of art. Statues, carvings, castings still continue to be made in th