devotional arts
What is the tradition of Cheriyal scroll painting and how does it serve devotional and narrative purposes?
What the tradition holds
Cheriyal scroll painting comes from the Nakashi community of Telangana. These painters made long scrolls, sometimes stretching several feet, filled with rows of figures and scenes drawn from Puranic stories. The Mahabharata, the Ramayana, and the Bhagavata are among the texts most commonly shown. The scrolls were not made to hang on walls. They were made to be used. A community of travelling performers called Kinnera Jogis would carry these scrolls from village to village. As they sang and recited the stories aloud, they would unroll the scroll and point to each scene, letting the pictures guide the audience through the tale. For many listeners, this was how they came to know these stories.
The look of the scrolls
Cheriyal paintings are easy to recognize. The figures are bold and stylized, not realistic. Faces are shown in profile. Colors are strong and flat, with red, yellow, green, and black used heavily. The background is traditionally a deep red. Each panel moves the story forward like a visual sequence, so the eye travels down the scroll just as the story moves forward in time. The style is meant to be read from a distance, which made sense when the storyteller held it up before a crowd.
Where it comes from
The Nakashi community has practiced this craft for many generations. The word Nakashi itself refers to their role as painters and craftspeople. This kind of scroll storytelling was once common across different parts of India. Pattachitra from Odisha and West Bengal works in a similar way, using painted cloth or palm leaf to carry sacred narratives. Kalamkari from Andhra Pradesh also depicts Puranic scenes, though it uses a different technique and medium. Cheriyal has its own distinct visual language that sets it apart from both. The tradition received a Geographical Indication tag, which recognizes it as a craft tied to its specific region.
Today
The travelling storytelling practice has become rare. Fewer Kinnera Jogis now move between villages with scrolls in the old way. But the painting itself continues. Nakashi artists today make smaller works for collectors, galleries, and cultural organizations. The subjects often remain the same, Puranic figures and stories, though the format has shifted from performance tool to art object. Efforts to document and support the tradition are ongoing, and the GI tag has helped bring wider attention to it. For the Hindu diaspora, Cheriyal scrolls offer a vivid window into how sacred stories were once shared not through books but through image, voice, and performance together.