Have you ever encountered, on beaches or local touristy places, mehendi artists who’d show you the most intricate and beautiful patterns that you could not help but get attracted by, eventually getting a few designs printed on your hands or arms? Sometimes they would use blocks of wood with natural ink on it, sometimes it’s the typical henna cone. These are evolved versions of historic, native arts that the locals indulge in like a common, everyday activity. Such mesmerising legacies of Indian native and tribal artforms have persisted till today, amidst all odds.

Did you know that such artforms—wall paintings, scrolls, tattoos—emerged independently in most regions of India? Each with a unique flair of its own, with their own purposes and depicting their own folk tales. How fascinating that all humans end up gravitating towards art, in its various forms and versions. Such indeed, is the story of the scroll painting tradition of Phad and Cheriyal—the former named after the cloth used as scroll and the latter after its place of origin.

The most fascinating thing about the scroll paintings of Phad and Cheriyal, is that both of them originated independently of each other, from two opposite ends of India. Phad belongs to the north-western Rajasthan whereas Cheriyal hails from south’s Telangana. Both of them make scrolls out of cloth, and paint with precision and delicacy the various folk tales and religious stories onto them—creating mobile temples for the common folk. Think of them as ancient and traditional Indian versions of graphic novels and comics. They follow stories through a narrative pattern, taking the oral tradition to a whole new level. Scrolls act as records of the oral narrations that would otherwise be lost to time and memory.

If these cloth scrolls full of wisdom and unparalleled depth sound exciting to you, Rooftop has curated something you would love—a Scrolls of India Combo with an Artventure Book each for both Cheriyal and Phad. These beautifully crafted Art books will take you step by step into the world of scrolls and their stories. Created by those who’ve mastered the art already, these books go by the pace of the learner with Elementary, Essential and Expert levels to make your dive into the deep world of Indian art as smooth as possible. The books will not only give a practical experience of the techniques used, but will also tell you about the significance of various symbols, patterns and the innumerable tales in the Indian reserve of traditional storytelling.

Phad: Scrolls of Tradition

Phad is a scroll-painting style, originating from Rajasthan. These scrolls are made of long pieces of cloth—called Phad—which are then painted on carefully, following proper methods and using vegetables extracts as paint. A story gets coloured into them, most of the time these stories narrate the lives and heroic actions of folk deities like Pabuji and Devnarayan.

Traditionally, Phads were made by the Joshis exclusively. However, a pioneer emerged, namely, Shree Lal Joshi, who opened up the art to all who wished to embrace it through his academy, Joshi Kala Kendra—now known as Chitrasala—in Bhilwari, Rajasthan.

Artventures of Phad is the perfect guide for curious and creative minds to seek beyond what is already known. Discover how motifs like fishes, cows, and musical instruments symbolise meanings beyond the obvious. Understand what the ancient masters of the art wished to convey through these paintings that became just as sacred as they are a source of entertainment and morality.

Cheriyal: Scrolls of Epic Tales

The legacy of Cheriyal scrolls go back 400 years, with elaborate scrolls crafted throughout the Andhra region. Now its origin town, Cheriyal, and city, Hyderabad, have become the only ones carrying it forward. Cheriyal scrolls are rich in tales of all kinds and from various sources. Puranas, the Epics, Bhagavad Gita, and more; drawing endlessly from the vault of Indian mythology. Like Phad, these tales stand for the collective beliefs and values of the region and religion. They bring morality to life, by depicting folk heroes with their noble countenances and irredeemable faults.

Artventures of Cheriyal takes you by the hand, guiding you so you may grasp the rich history and the unique techniques of the craft, known only to the experts. Explore the different ways of visual expression that the scrolls of Cheriyal employ, with their colourful motifs and their equally colourful metaphorical meanings. From line tracing to painting entire sections on your own, there is a mesmerising journey ahead of you.

What You Get in the Tribal Arts Combo

The Tribal Arts Combos are a series carefully curated by Rooftop which pairs up adventure books of similar tribal artforms so that your learning experience is two-fold and is not hindered by monetary concerns. The booklets come with step-by-step guides, tips, tricks, storytelling cues and cultural context, making them a perfect blend of tradition, interaction and fun! Apart from the Phad and Cheriyal combo, there’s the Artventures of Gond and Warli Combo, Artventures of Mata ni Pachedi and Pichwai Combo, and three-book combos as well. Pick the one that feels right for you and begin your journey into the art forms of India.

It’s Just The Beginning

Rooftop has created just the right journey for you, with starting points, following checkpoints and it’s a journey of artistic pursuits, so there is no end whatsoever—the journey will continue as long as you are willing to learn and grow. The rooftop app offers masterclass courses conducted by Padma Shree awardees and experts in the arts they teach, with live and re-watchable sessions. The Workshops conducted are for the ones available offline and get the real tangible experience of an art in the making. Download the Rooftop app to explore and learn ad infinitum!