Hyderabad: In a significant development, the ancient tribal art form of hand-crafting Naikpod masks specific to the Naikpod tribes living in Madaram village of Mulakalapalli mandal in Bhadradri Kothagudem district could soon receive a Geographical Indication (GI) tag.
To achieve this, the Naikpod Tribal Arts and Crafts Society has applied for GI registration at the Intellectual Property Facilitation Centre (IPFC), with the support of Gurunanak Institutions Technical Campus.
The application for registration was verified by Subhajit Saha, CEO of IP Services LLP and M Srivatsa, legal counsel for GI registration.
Pasula Anjan Kumar, president of the Naikpod Tribal Arts and Crafts Society, said this could be a turning point for his community. “It will not only help in protecting the Naikpod arts and crafts, but also help in passing the ancient handicraft form to the future generations,” he said.
He established the society 11 years ago and has been engaging his society members in preparing the masks and marketing them through the Integrated Tribal Development Agency (ITDA), displaying them at exhibitions and other platforms.
The Naikpod masks are made out of wood from the Poniki tree by the Naikpod tribes. They craft the masks with their hands using only natural colours extracted from the forest resources like coloured stones, tree extracts, charcoal, ash and other materials.
They mainly craft the face masks of Kakatiyan king Singaboyadu (Singabhupala), Bhulakshmi Devara, the five Pandavas (Korrajus), Potharaju, Varaha Raju, Erragonda Rakasi, Nallagonda Rakasi, Aswam (horse) and a deer.
The Naikpod tribes established themselves on the banks of the Godavari River in Telangana, primarily in the present Bhadradri Kothagudem and Mulugu districts, but also spread to other areas.
The Naikpods were believed to have served Sarvagnya Singa Bhupala, the 14th-century ruler of the Recharla Padmanayaka dynasty.
The Naikpods claim that Bheema’s wife Hidimbi was their daughter, and that Bheema taught them to cultivate millets, the reason why they address Pandavas as ‘Korrajulu’.
They treat Erragonda Rakasi and Nallagonda Rakasi as their village deities.
Just at the outset of the monsoon season, which kicks off with Eruvaka Pournami, within a week, the Naikpods hold their annual jatara (festival), where they offer prayers to their deities, wear these masks and perform their traditional dance. They believe that by wearing the masks, their beloved deities come alive through them.
This post was last modified on October 15, 2025 7:48 pm