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Andhra
Pradesh has a rich tradition in handicrafts, with
craftsmanship handed down from generation to generation.
The state abounds in varied forms of art and traditional
crafts, ranging from leather puppetry to
Ikat weaving, each of them highly developed
and specialised. The crafts are still practiced
as a family or cottage industry.
A visit to Chirala, in Prakasam district, a major
weaving centre, one may find several families working
on looms or dyeing the yarn, in a very similar way
as was done centuries ago. Collections such as traditional
arts and crafts are available in several emporia
in Hyderabad and other places, from Government
handloom cooperatives to handicraft stores.
The ethnic handicrafts of Andhra Pradesh are as
follows:
Bidri is a metal craft that
derives its name from Bidar, the hometown of this
exquisite craft. The basic material used is an alloy
of zinc, oxidized and intricately inlaid with silver.
This famous art can be traced back to the Kakatiyas.Decorative,
beautifully painted wooden articles like furniture,
bowls, lamps, ash trays, boxes are typical items.
Himroo is a distinctive, luxurious
fabric, once used as dress material by the nobles,
with a cotton base and silk or art silk weave, made
into stoles, gowns and furnishings.
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.
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.
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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.
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,
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.