rich in the local motifs peculiar to Telangana. The scrolls

are painted in a narrative format, much like a film roll or

a comic strip, depicting stories from Indian mythology,

and intimately tied to the shorter stories from the Puranas

and Epics. Unique to Hyderabad, Telangana, India,

today only a few artists remain who strive to preserve

this art and tradition.

Cheriyal art unfolds the narratives of local mythology and legends,

popular characters from these myths are reflected through

expressive masks- often used to entertain, educate children through

storytelling and also to decorate homes.

Nagilla Ganesh, Cheriyal Artist
Location- Telangana | Age- 35 | Experience- 28 years.

N. Ganesh learnt the intricacies of Cheriyal painting from his guru Danalokota Chandraiah- a member of the only family practicing Cheriyal art in 1991. After his marriage to Vinaja, he shared his knowledge and expertise with her - today they both are accomplished, traditional artisans who propagate the art in their community. Ganesh has been awarded by the Telangana Tourism, Swachh Bharat and the Nagpur Cultural centre.

"I don’t just paint aesthetic figures, my scrolls tell stories- stories which take people back to a forgotten era.”