Popular Handicrafts Available in Hyderabad
Whether looking to decorate your home or to give as a gift, handicrafts are a great idea. Cheap handicrafts given as gifts to carry back home or for decoration is one of the benefits of visiting Hyderabad. More probably, for art lovers, Hyderabad is the best place to shop, as the city offers a wide variety of arts and traditional handicrafts from different parts of the state.
Hyderabad is the main center for handmade arts and crafts in the entire state of Andhra Pradesh. Artisans from different parts of the state bring their works to sell in the Hyderabad city. So, one can find an authentic collection of handicrafts in Hyderabad, all at a place and at reasonable prices.
Let’s explore various arts and crafts available in the city.
Handmade toys: A huge variety of handmade toys from different parts of Andhra Pradesh are available in Hyderabad. We can find the popular Kondapally and Nirmal wood (ponki chekka) toys, Etikoppaka lacquer toys, Tirupathi red wood toys and leather toys. Kondapalli toys made in different miniature forms like fruits, vegetables, birds, animals, etc., coloured in water colours, look so natural. On the other hand, Nirmal toys made from same material are coloured with oil paintings and have a glossy golden finish. Various decorative items like toys, trays, bowls, boxes, etc., are also available in different designs.
Banjara embroidery works: Banjara embroidery is a bright and colorful work produced by Banjara or lambada tribes. A noticeable feature of this work is the use of vivacious colours, ornate patterns and delicate mirror work, which makes the embroidery look original and elegant. Various colored threads, mirrors, shells, motifs, beads, etc., are used and the embroidery is often done on cotton fabric. Banjara embroidery also got a Geographical Indication (GI) tag. Various Banjara work items such as gaghras, cholis, odhnis, kerchiefs, purses, bags, waist bands, bed spreads, sofa backs, cushion covers, wall hangings, etc., are available in Hyderabad
Kalamkari art: Kalamkari is one of the fine arts that involve painting and printing fabrics. The name itself depicts the kind of work Kalam means pen and kari means work. In Hyderabad, we find this famous pen painted fabrics portraying various mythological characters from epics like Ramayana and Mahabharata. You can find sarees, dress materials, bed spreads, cushions covers, wall hangings of Kalamkari.
Nirmal paintings: Nirmal, a small village in Adilabad district, is also famous for paintings (besides, producing Nirmal toys). Nirmal painting artists generally use the themes from Indian epics and make the artwork look aesthetic. The painting are made on flat wood board (specifically on ponki wood), using bright colours. The specialty of the wood is that, as the painting ages it acquires a nice muted glow. The colours used in the paintings are natural which are made of minerals, gums, and herbs.
Bidriware crafts: Bidriware is a fine art metal handicraft made with a blackened alloy of zinc and copper designed with thin sheets of pure silver. It looks authentic because of its dark background and fine silver/gold contrast finely designed over it. Bidriware is also recognized as GI craft of India. Various items crafted using this technique are bidriware flower vases, wine decanters, plates, hookah stands and bases, ashtrays, bowls, bangles, show pieces, wall decorations, etc.