The Indian painters reviving Cheriyal, a 500-year-old art form

The Cheriyal style of painting, believed to be more than five centuries old, is unique to the southern Indian state of Telangana.

But today it is under threat of extinction: due to its declining popularity, the state now has only 16 Cheriyal artists.

However, all may not be lost.

A group of artists are hoping to revive the tradition by using Cheriyal art to create products which are both contemporary and functional, while working with natural colours and organic materials like tamarind seeds and powdered wood.

Video by BBC Telugu’s Sangeetham Prabhakar