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ANDHRA
PRADESH CULTURE
Handicrafts
of Andhra Pradesh
 Among
other reasons that make up this beautiful state of south India
is the art and craft that have been a part of Andhra ever since.
Most handicrafts are have been learned as an art form down the
ages. And some of them are still a part of the cottage industry
of Andhra. Some of Andhra's handicrafts are as follows:
Bidri
This is the most
well known handicraft of Andhra Pradesh- a metal craft that derives
its name from Bidar, the hometown of this exquisite craft. It
is an art of inlaying silver on black metal and is believed to
have originated in Iran seven centuries ago. The black art reflects
the sufi influence till date. The Moghul rulers decorated their
weapons using bidri style.
Most
commonly seen items of bidri include plates, bowls, vases, ash
trays, trinket boxes, huqqa bases and jewellery. The black colour
is the result of heating zinc and copper surfaces gently and applying
sal ammoniac with old fort earth.
Kamalkari
The name
'Kalamkari'
is
derived from the word 'kalam' which means a 'pen', the tool used
in this craft. Kalamkari is hand painting with vegetable dyes.
Only four basic colours are used to depict scenes from mythology.
The colourful puppets are made from buffalo hide, bleached and
tinted with local paints. The most popular figures are the heroes
and villains from mythology. The artisans of Hyderabad from the
days of the Golconda kingdom have perfected the art of creating
jewellery. Hyderabad today, is the largest pearl centre of India.
The
pen-painted fabrics of Machilipatnam and Kalahasti, known for
their intricate and detailed designs, are used in clothing and
wall decorations. These designs are outlined with a cotton-tipped
bamboo stick and dyed in vegetable or mineral colours - black
from palm jaggery and rusted iron, red from madder, yellow from
the dried myrobalan fruit and blue from indigo.
Each
design can take several days of concentration to complete, as
the process of dyeing is very elaborate. While smaller pieces
are hand-drawn, large canvasses and sheets are block-printed.
The Kalahasti school is noted for its wall panels depicting mythological
tales and characters, while the Machilipatnam school for the block-painted,
large pieces used for sarees or linen.
Andhra
Pradesh has an age-old tradition of hand-woven fabrics. Silk and
cotton sarees from Pochampalli, Venkatagiri, Nayudupet, Gadwal,
Narayanpet and Dharmavaram are household names throughout India.
Toys, Dolls & Puppets
Kondapalli toys
are colourful wooden creations which can enliven any interior.
They are chiseled out of locally available wood into a variety
of objects - birds, animals, mythological characters, fruits,
vegetables, among many others.The designs are basic and the colours
are flashy. Another craft is making leather puppets. The puppets
of mythological figures are used to enact shadow plays.
Stone Work
Divine creations are
shaped out of formless rocks. The traditional sculptor relies
on his knowledge and perception of divine forms and chisels out
finely sculpted specimens that stand out with life-like features.
The sharp anatomical contours seem to come alive before one's
eyes. Durgi, Allagadda and Tirupati are three of the major centers
of the stone art.
Folk Painting
Telengana region is
particularly well known for its folk paintings, very colourful
and bright, that serve as ideal hall hangings. It is believed
that the divine architect Vishwakarma handed it down to the artisans
on earth. The themes are mostly mythological.
Nirmal
Painting
Nirmal, a town
in predominantly tribal Adilabad is a world famous centre for
oil paintings. The themes are generally from the epics - Ramayan
and Mahabharath. Also Moghul miniatures among other schools on
ponniki wood are famous.There are depictions of birds, animals,
and landscape besides imaginative and surrealistic representations.
Bronze Castings
Metal working has been
transformed into a hallowed art by the artisans of Andhra Pradesh.
Icons of various gods and goddesses are moulded to perfection
in bronze. The beauty and grandeur of these realistic bronze castings
are spellbinding to say the least.
Ikat Weaving
The most unique
and popular handloom heritage of Andhra Pradesh is IKAT. IKAT
weaving is a heritage craft that even survives today. The IKAT
weavers prepare the yarn for weaving by dipping it in oil and
then weaving it into fabric. The semi- finished fabric is waxed
and covered in clay as per the design envisaged by the weaver.
This enables the subsequent dying process to take place in a select,
controlled manner. Typical items include sarees, blankets, mats,
carpets, coasters, fancy bags etc.
Pembarthi Sheet
Metal Ware Pembarthy,
a five-century old art that descended from the practice of embellishing
chariots and statues is a popular Brassware craft. With the passage
of time and constant adaptation to changing circumstances, the
art has absorbed all the good influences that came its way, like
the Islamic touch during the days of the Nizam. Typical items
of this sheet metal art are large containers, frames and plaques.
Wood Carving
Endowed with a rich
forest cover, Andhra Pradesh has given rise to several types of
wood carvings. The themes are gods, goddesses, figurines, birds,
animals etc. The minutely sculpted piece is breathtaking. Red
Sanders with its distinctive reddish brown appeal is used in the
making of panels and columns.
Banjara Needle Craft
Armed with just a thread
and needle, the tribal Banjaran women transform any ordinary looking
cloth into a colorful piece of art. The distinctive feature of
Banjara works is the extensive use of mirrors. Typical items include
cushion covers, bags, shirts, kurtas, bed spreads etc.
Fabrics
Andhra Pradesh is well
known for its handloom sarees, both cotton and silk. These come
from the looms in Gadwal, Kothakota, Dharmavaram, Narayanapet,
and Venkatagiri. Each of these weaving styles are distinct, producing
a unique variety of fabric. Most of these traditional works have
beautiful borders, often with ornate gold thread-work. Gadwal
is especially noted for its fine cotton fabric, with silk and
gold borders. Dharmavaram produces silks that are attractive in
design.Pedapuram too produces handloom silks that are ideal for
dress making. Narayanapet is famous for its cotton and silk sarees.
Venkatagiri and Kothakota are known for pure cottons with zari
(gold thread).
Silver Filigree-Karimnagar
A variety of thin and
delicately worked silver articles of jewellery and household items
are the hallmarks of silver filigree work. Intricately twisted
strands of silver are braided together, hammered out into a gentle
lattice work of frail artistic grandeur. Generally the silver
filigree craftsperson shapes key chains, boxes, trays, etc.
Budithi
One of the less talked
about and yet a very special handicraft is Budithi. It is practiced
in Srikakulam. The objects of Budithi art are planters, pots,
ashtrays, decorative floral patterns etc., slender necks and exquisite
body shapes are highlights of Budithi art.
Performing
Arts
As the home of rich folk tradition,
Andhra Pradesh offers a variety of performing arts unique to its
culture. Kuchipudi, the famous classical dance takes its name
from a village 60 km. away from Vijayawada just above the delta
region of the river Krishna. It was Siddhendra Yogi who developed
this form incorporating a repertoire of religious themes. This
dance-drama enactment throbs with Telugu lyrics, Sanskrit verses
and is distinguished from other dance forms which are interspersed
by narratives making it popular and expressive.
'Tholubommalata',
a shadow puppetry theatre is a fascinating folk art. Ornamentally
painted leather puppets locally referred to as ‘Tholubommalu’
take the form of mythological characters from the two renowned
epics, Mahabharata and Ramayana. The inanimate characters are
handled with bamboo sticks against a magnificent lamplit background.
Percussion instruments played to an intricate beat and lyrical
narration reflect the aesthetics of this entertaining folk heritage.
Tribal dances contribute in equal measure to the artistic heritage
of Andhra Pradesh. The picturesque Araku valley that lies 112
km. from Visakhapatnam shelters nineteen- odd tribes. Many of
their folk dances bring colour and joy to their religious processions
and harvest celebrations. Dhimsa is one amongst the many colourful
dances that present a tribal kaleidoscope in costume, lyric, style
and zest.
Veeranatyam
This is the dance of Lord Shiva, who outraged at the humiliation
meted out to Sati Devi, his first wife, picked a relic out of
his Jata-Jhuta (hair) and created Veerabadhra. The Veeramusti
community which claims to be the descendents of Veerabadhra, perform
this vigorous dance with instruments like Thambura, Soolam, Dolu,
Thasha and Veernam usually at Draksharamam in East Godavari district
of Andhra Pradesh. This place is believed to be Dakshawatika,
the birth place of Veerabhadra.
Butta
Bommalu
The dance of Masks. A typical folk dance form, popular in Tanuku
of West Godavari district of Andhra Pradesh. Butta Bommalu which
literally means Basket toys are made of woodhusk, dry grass and
cow dung. Each dancer wears a different mask over the head and
shoulders enlarging the scope of the performer and dances to a
nonverbal rhythm which adds colour to the movements.
Dappu
The Dappu, a percussion instrument made of goat skin and wood,
is a tambourine-like drum which is when played with sticks creates
a rhythm that’s softened only by the sound of ankle bells that
the 16-20 dancers wear. Part of a Telangana custom which sees
the Dappu dancers at the front of any procession, whether it be
for Jataras, Festivals or Marriages, this is truly a celebration
of the percussion powers of dance.
Chindu
Bhagawatham
The dance of Colours and Costumes. This lively art form hails
from Nizamabad district. The performers in colourful make up and
costumes dance to the musical patterns set by Cymbals, Tabla and
Harmonium. Mythological themes are usually enacted and the audience
is mostly rural. The applause is however universal.
Tappeta
Gullu
The dance of the Rain God. Popular in Srikakulam and
Vijayanagaram districts, this is a devotional dance which invokes
the Rain God with its vigour, rhythm and tempo. Also performed
during festivals, the dance sees 15 – 20 vibrant artists with
drums around their necks creating mesmerising beats and heart
stopping acrobatics.
Lambadi
This dance is associated with daily tasks like harvesting, planting,
sowing, etc. and belongs to the Banjaras, a semi-nomadic tribe
seen all over Andhra Pradesh. The Lambadi is performed by the
Costumes embroidered with glass beads and mirrors, ornate jewellery,
ivory bangles, brass anklets and a natural rhythm makes this dance
a colourful exposition of joy which is the highlight of many an
occasion.
Bonalu
The dance of the Balancing Pots. The folk festival of Bonalu in
the Telangana region brings with it a celebration of colourfully
dressed female dancers balancing pots (Bonalu), stepping to the
rhythmic beats and tunes in praise of the village deity Mahankali.
Male dancers called Potharajus follow the female dancers to the
temple lashing whips and emerald margosa leaves tied around their
waists adding colour to the roaring trumpets and pulsating percussion.
Dhimsa
This tribal dance form of the Hill Tribes sees 15-20 women forming
a chain and dancing to the beats of instruments like Mori, Thuduma
and Dappu that are played by members. They dance in praise of
their local deity.It is generally performed in the local fairs
and festivals in Viskhapatnam district. Women attired in typical
tribal dresses and ornaments.
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