The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : A hazy future for Nirmal paintings?

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Nov 12, 2007
ePaper

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

A hazy future for Nirmal paintings?

S. Harpal Singh

A sole, surviving artist member of the Naqqash families continues to paint

Naqqash caste were migrants from Karnataka to Nirmal
Unviability makes artists to look for other jobs

NIRMAL (ADILABAD DT.): A hazy picture is all that emerges when the future of the popular Nirmal paintings is contemplated. Only one artist from Nirmal’s Naqqash families continues to paint the famous themes that are considered to form a genre by themselves.

Members of the Naqqash caste, who had migrated to Nirmal from Karnataka ages ago, were gifted artists who produced wooden toys and paintings that gradually became famous by the name of the place (Nirmal).

While the toy- making activity still is in vogue with the Naqqash families, the painting part will come to a close with Brahmarouthu Padma Rao, the last of the artists to carry on the hoary tradition.

The exquisite Nirmal paintings, done in Duco colours on nuwood framed boards usually in the size of 1.6 ft x 1 ft and priced at affordable costs of under Rs. 500, are popular especially as gifts. Paintings on themes such as Lord Krishna sermonising Arjuna before the Mahabharata battle, Lord Krishna and the devotee Meera, a fisherwoman carrying a basket of fish, a nymph blowing a trumpet and another one dancing are some of the nearly 150 odd regular themes of these paintings.

“In the face of emerging trends, the painting as well as toy- making activities faced crisis.

While the latter was given some kind of Governmental support, the paintings remained neglected only to distance the younger generation Naqqash members away from it,” observes 48-year-old Padma Rao.

In 1948, Padma Rao’s father Rajaiah and Boosani Ramulu established Nirmal Industries at Khairatabad area in Hyderabad city as a production centre and outlet for the works of art of Naqqash families.

Now the painting activity has come to a total close.

“If the Government comes forward to pay something like a fixed honorarium, at least some interested artists may take to this activity,” hopes Padma Rao.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail