Telangana Ethnic Arts Exhibition is an ode to the indigenous tribal and folk arts

With more than 2000 artefacts collected by Jayadhir Thirumala Rao, the showcase takes art lovers closer to tribal art, music and their traditions

A musical storytelling session mesmerises visitors at the ongoing ‘Aadya Kala: The Telangana Ethnic Arts Exhibition’ at the State Art Gallery in Madhapur, Hyderabad. As 71-year-old Jayadhir Thirumala Rao slowly taps what is clearly an indigenous percussion instrument, the beats pick up momentum and the sound reverberates across the gallery. We learn the musical instrument is Runja, an indigenous percussion instrument played by the Vishwakarma community in Telangana. Visitors can immerse themselves in ancient tribal arts on display at this curated show. The exhibition is categorised into four segments — Aadi Aksharam, Aadi Dhwani, Aadi Chitram and tribal metal artwork (dokra work). It includes more than 2,000 artefacts collected by Thirumala Rao, former professor of Potti Sreeramulu Telugu University in Hyderabad, over four decades.