Telangana Cheriyal artist gets PM Modi accolade for preserving 400-year-old art

HYDERABAD: Known for his rare, unique Cheriyal paintings, Telangana artist, D Vaikuntham, received appreciation from Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his latest edition of Mann Ki Baat on Sunday.
The PM's commendation was made in light of the challenges faced by this 400-year-old art form, which, despite being recognised with a Geographical Indication (GI) tag, continues to fight for relevance. The artist and his family are among the two or three families in the entire state who have kept the art alive.
Interestingly, it was Vaikuntham's family that provided wooden plates adorned with paintings for the G20 meetings that took place in India last year.
"In different parts of the country, you will find many such extraordinary people who have come forward to preserve cultural heritage. D Vaikuntham has been engaged in popularising Cheriyal folk art for about 50 years now. His efforts to promote this art form related to Telangana are amazing. The process of making Cheriyal paintings is unique. It is in the form of a scroll... that brings forth stories. In that we get a complete glimpse of our history and mythology," the PM said during Mann Ki Baat.
Speaking to TOI later, Vaikuntham, who belongs to Siddipet, expressed his gratitude to the PM for acknowledging his efforts. He said: "His support will advance this art form." Elaborating further, Vaikuntham said: "Historically, this art was predominantly found in Siddipet and Karimnagar. Before the emergence of cinema and television, communities relied heavily on this art for storytelling. A few decades ago, there were approximately 10,000 artists in Telangana; however, now only two or three families, aside from our own, continue this tradition."