TDP Showcases Etikoppaka heritage by presenting traditional idol to Prez Murmu
PIONEER EDGE NEWS SERVICE
The Telugu Desam Party (TDP) government continued its campaign to promote Andhra Pradesh’s traditional crafts on the national stage by presenting an Etikoppaka handicraft to President Droupadi Murmu during her visit to Visakhapatnam on Tuesday.
State IT and HRD Minister Nara Lokesh received the President at INS Dega and presented her with a handcrafted Sri Rama Pattabhishekam idol made in Etikoppaka, the renowned wood-lacquer craft village in Anakapalli district. He was joined by Governor Syed Abdul Nazeer, Assembly Speaker Chintakayala Ayyanna Patrudu, and Home Minister Vangalapudi Anitha.
The presentation reflects the TDP government’s continuing effort to showcase Andhra Pradesh’s indigenous crafts on nationally significant occasions. It follows the recent promotion of Mangalagiri handloom and signals a broader initiative to project the state’s traditional arts and crafts as symbols of its cultural identity.
The handcrafted Sri Rama Pattabhishekam idol depicts the coronation of Lord Rama after his return to Ayodhya. By selecting the artwork as the official gift for the President, the government combined one of India’s most enduring cultural themes with one of Andhra Pradesh’s oldest handicraft traditions.
Located on the banks of the Varaha River, Etikoppaka has been known for its handcrafted wooden artefacts for nearly four centuries. The craft uses the traditional Tharini technique, in which soft wood from the Ankudu tree (Wrightia tinctoria) is shaped on hand-operated lathes and finished with natural lac dyes extracted from roots, bark, seeds and leaves. The eco-friendly process produces vibrant colours without synthetic paints, making the products safe for children. The village is known for mythological figurines, Raja-Rani dolls, spinning tops, musical instruments and decorative items.
The craft received wider national recognition after Narendra Modi mentioned Etikoppaka in his Mann Ki Baat programme in 2020. It had earlier been granted a Geographical Indication (GI) tag in 2017 following an application submitted by the then TDP government in 2014, providing legal recognition to one of Andhra Pradesh’s oldest handicraft traditions.
With Etikoppaka following Mangalagiri handloom into the national spotlight, the TDP government has continued to use prominent public occasions to promote Andhra Pradesh’s artisan communities and preserve the visibility of the state’s traditional crafts.
