The First Mask I Ever Made
A Small Beginning Under a Big Sky
I still remember that evening clearly.
The sun was going down behind our fields in Telangana. The sky was orange, slowly turning dark. Our house was quiet, except for the soft sound of my grandfather clearing his throat and the distant beat of a drum from the village temple.
I was sitting beside him, watching.
In his hands was a mask. Half-made. Not yet alive.
He looked at me and said,
“Today, you try.”
My heart beat fast. My hands were small. I did not know if I could do it.
That was the day I made my first mask.
Or at least… I tried.
A Tradition Older Than Memory
In our village, mask-making is not something we learned from books. It is something we grew up seeing.
During festivals, when people gathered and drums filled the air, these masks came alive. A man would wear one, and suddenly he was no longer just a man. He became a god, a protector, a spirit.
As children, we were both scared and amazed.
These masks were not just for show. They carried belief. They carried stories of our people, our ancestors, our way of life.
My grandfather used to say,
“This is not just work. This is who we are.”
And slowly, without even realizing, that truth became a part of me.
The Day My Hands Touched the Craft
When I first held the clay, it felt strange. Soft, but heavy.
My grandfather showed me how to shape it.
“Not too hard,” he said.
“Let your hands feel it.”
I pressed the clay gently, trying to form a face. But my fingers were unsure. The shape was uneven. The nose looked wrong. The cheeks were not balanced.
But he smiled.
“First one is never perfect,” he said.
We left it to dry under the sun. I kept checking it again and again, like a child waiting for something magical to happen.
When it was ready, he gave me colors.
Bright yellow. Deep red. Black.
My hand shook as I painted. Lines went wrong. Colors spread outside.
But when I painted the eyes… something changed.
For a moment, it felt like the mask was looking back at me.
That feeling… I still cannot explain.
In our home, learning never came with long lessons.
It came with sitting together. Watching. Trying. Failing. Trying again.
My grandfather never shouted. He never forced. He just guided.
Sometimes he would take the brush from my hand and show me slowly. Sometimes he would just watch and let me learn on my own.
My mother also helped. She had a steady hand. She would correct small details—
“Make the line softer.”
“Don’t rush the color.”
And slowly, my hands began to understand.
Not just the work…
but the feeling behind it.
Morning started with chores—fetching water, helping at home, sometimes going to the fields.
And in between all this, we made masks.
There was no fixed time. No fixed place. Just whenever we could.
Sometimes we worked together as a family. Sitting on the floor, sharing silence.
No one spoke much.
But there was peace in that silence.
This was not just work.
It was time spent together.
It was life itself.
The Difficult Side No One Sees
But as I grew older, I also saw the struggles.
Making a mask takes time. Sometimes a full day. Sometimes more.
But selling it? That was uncertain.
Some days, no one came. Some days, the price offered was too low.
Middlemen would take a big share. Markets were far. Travel was not easy.
And slowly, I understood something hard—
Our work had value.
But not everyone saw it.
My friends started leaving the village. They wanted jobs in cities. Stable income. Different life.
Even I wondered sometimes…
Should I continue?
But every time I held a mask,
I felt something pulling me back.
Support That Feels Near, Yet Far
We heard about government schemes. About fairs, exhibitions, support for artisans.
Some people in nearby villages got chances. They traveled, they showed their work.
But for us, it was not always easy. Information came late. Opportunities felt far away.
There is support, yes.
But not for everyone.
Many like us are still waiting.
Waiting for a chance.
Waiting to be seen.
Even with all this, I did not stop.
Because this craft is not just about money.
When I make a mask, I feel connected—to my grandfather, to my village, to something older than all of us.
Each mask carries a story.
Each mask carries a piece of me.
In today’s fast world, where everything is quick and easy, this slow work feels special.
It teaches patience.
It teaches respect.
It teaches meaning.
What Others Feel When They See It
Sometimes, people from outside come to our village. They look at the masks with curiosity.
They ask questions. They hold them carefully.
And I can see it in their eyes—
they feel something.
Not just beauty.
But connection.
They start to understand that this is not just an object.
It is a story.
It is a life.
If you ever see a handmade mask like this, take a moment.
Think about the hands that made it. The time it took. The life behind it.
You don’t have to buy everything.
Understand its value.
See the human behind it.
Because when you do that,
you help keep this tradition alive.
That first mask I made was not perfect.
The shape was uneven.
The colors were not neat.
But my grandfather kept it.
Even today, it is in our home.
Whenever I look at it, I don’t see mistakes.
I see a beginning.
A small moment…
that became a part of my life.
Because sometimes,
one small attempt
is enough to carry a tradition forward.
To know more about this living heritage, visit:
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Telangana, the youngest state in India, is renowned for its rich cultural heritage, scenic beauty, and world-famous handicrafts. Its traditional arts include Cheriyal Paintings, Nirmal Toys, hand embroidery (Nagaram, Nizamabad), Bobbin Lace, Banjara Embroidery, Zari–Zardozi, cotton durries, lac bangles, Baithak paintings, Ikat, pearl jewellery, intricate stone carvings, and hand-printed cotton textiles, each deeply rooted in tradition and craftsmanship.
The Comprehensive Handicrafts Cluster Development Scheme (CHCDS), under the Ministry of Textiles, aims to holistically develop handicraft clusters across India, including Telangana.
Supported by: The Development Commissioner (Handicrafts), the nodal agency for promoting and developing the Indian handicrafts sector, focused on artisan empowerment, market expansion, and sustainable livelihoods.
Executed by: The Andhra Pradesh Productivity Council (APPC), an autonomous non-profit organization established in 1958 by the Government of Andhra Pradesh, implementing the project in Telangana through consultancy, micro-enterprise development, skill development, training, surveys, energy audits, and rural livelihood initiatives.
Technology Partner: Next Page Technologies Pvt. Ltd., providing technology development and digital presence with expertise in enterprise web and mobile applications, ERP systems, AI, ML, analytics, and automation, and extensive experience across MSMEs, government projects, and sectors including HR Tech, Commerce, EdTech, Manufacturing, and AgriTech etc.
