Nirmal is a town, mandal headquarters and a municipality in Adilabad district in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh.it is the political headquarter of the district having 400yrs of history.
The ancient history of Nirmal had glorious past with the overwhelming admiration towards art and culture from the ruling nobility. It has always enjoyed the patronage of ruling nobility and many dynasties of Southern India were very much inclined towards the cultural heritage of Nirmal. The Kakatiyas, The chalukyas, The VishnuKundinis, The Qutubshahis and The Nizams have contributed to the growth of cultural heritage and made it flourish and helped in promotion of the art. The legacy of the historic heritage is to be seen. The kings had their religion embarked on their constructions to propagate their respective religions and traditions. One can find Mohammedan, Shaivaite, vyshnavaite traditions reflect in their monuments. Even the French established their presence by building a magnificient fort standing majestically till date. Nirmal , the little town that occupies a proud place on the handicrafts map of India lies in the district of forests, Adilabad. 210 km from Hyderabad , the capital city of Andhra Pradesh, Nirmal is embedded amidst the Sahaydri mountain range offering a pleasant ambience surrounded by hills and forests thus creating a vulnerable climate throughout the year. Folklores say that Nirmal was renamed after a village headman and a chieftain Neema Naik who manufactured weapons of war. He also encouraged craftsmanship of his workers thereby helping the growth and promotion of art of the wood engraving. Nirmal, always enjoyed the patronage of the ruling nobility.The Nizams of Hyderabad were very much inclined towards the ecstatic wooden engravings and craftsmanship. Not only did the local nobility but also The French were fascinated by scenic beauty of Mother Nature .The gigantic Nirmal fort built by The French looming large at the entrance of the town stands as a witness, for its inclination towards it.
Nirmal Painting and wooden toys are famous all over the world. From the rustic ethos to the royal environment, from flora to fauna, an explicit array of expressions is portrayed in myriad colours and forms on Nirmal products. This art form named after its place of origin, Nirmal in Adilabad district of Andhra Pradesh.
Nirmal, known as the land of crafts and craftsmanship, is the small town in the Adilabad District of Andhra Pradesh. Nirmal is the picturesque town located amidst beautiful forests and hills. This little town occupies leading place in India for its handicrafts and toys. These toys are all the local articles that can be used in daily life- furniture, toys, boxes, paintings, jewellery etc.
One must be wondering over the recognition Nirmal has for its toys. Yes, the fame of the town is apt as the toys are unique in their own way. The toys are made of 'Ponki Chekka' (a wood by name Ponki), which is locally available. The speciality of this wood is its light weight, flexibility and the ability to be cut into desired shape. The various parts of these toys are glued together by specially prepared glue. It is then coated with 'chinta lappam', a paste like substance, which is prepared from sawdust and boiled tamarind seeds. After this, they toys are again coated with white clay, which smoothens any ridges and depressions on the toys. The toys are then coloured with attractive colours. The most amazing thing to note is that the colours used for these toys are natural vegetable colours and some original minerals. The golden colour that you find on these products is also the result of some herbal extracts.
The end product of all the above processes is toys that are attractive, colourful and bright.
It is said that this art form originated somewhere around 14th century. That time, the product was limited to certain range. That is, the first articles/toys were based on figures and episodes from mythology and were purely art object. By the end of 17th century, this art took a radical transformation. The local talent was exploited and new creativity was given the way. The articles used in regular utility and some decorative items were manufactured.
Legend has it that even the Nizams of Hyderabad were very much biased with Nirmal craftsmanship. On their visit to this toy town, the Nizams were given a splendid welcome with the venue all decked up with the best of craftsmanship of Nirmal. An intricately carved banana bud, whose petal was coloured gold, was hanged above the Nizam's seat, which showered golden coloured petals on him.
Today to patch up with the modern terms and fast changing trends, the Nirmal craftsmen have improved their standards. Today you can see more contemporary design in the toys, however retaining the tradition and sophistication of the originality.
There is one Nirmal Toys Industrial Cooperative Society situated on NH-7, which was established in 1955. It houses 60 artisans and is the main toy making unit. There is another branch in Hyderabad that manufactures furniture and miniature paintings. The 'Nirmal Industry' has been growing ever since its inception in 1951 at Hyderabad, which developed Nirmal paintings and handicrafts command the international market.