Patachitra, OdishaWith Raghurajpur as its centre, and the region around Puri popular for these scroll paintings, initially made on palm leaf or cloth, and now on paper, the Patachitra tradition is inspired by the Jagannath and Vaishnava cult and centres around the worship of these deities at their temples.
Image by DAG Library & Archive
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Sanjhi, MathuraThough it has been criticised for being static&mdashSanjhi is, after all, a paper cutting technique&mdashin the hands of a master wielder of its formidable and specially constructed scissors, it can produce works of great beauty.
Image by DAG Library & Archive
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Molela terracotta, RajasthanMolela village in the Rajsamand district of Rajasthan has gained the distinction of making flat surface terracotta tablets embossed with images of tribal gods and goddesses that make their way across the country to be sold in urban markets.
Image by DAG Library & Archive
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Pichwai, Rajasthan Pichwai paintings are made on cloth and were traditionally created as curtains or backdrops for the idol of Krishna in the village of Nathdwara, a major pilgrimage centre outside Udaipur.
Image by DAG Library & Archive
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Madhubani, Bihar Probably India&rsquos most well-known folk art form, Madhubani &mdash or, correctly, Mithila &mdash paintings date back to the celebration of Sita&rsquos wedding with Rama, but have been likened to works by Miro and Picasso by some critics.
Image by DAG Library & Archive
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Phad, RajasthanThere was a time when the Bhopas, or bards, of the Nayaka community in Rajasthan would travel across the state to entertain villagers. Their tools included a painted scroll and a lantern. The scroll&mdashor phad&mdashcontained vignettes of the life of Pabuji, or of Dev Narayan, folk heroes enshrined in the paintings, and hence in collective memory, as deities, thus mak
Image by Forbes
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Gond, Central India The tribal Gond community spreads across Madhya Pradesh and parts of Chhattisgarh, Odisha, Maharashtra, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh.
Image by DAG Library & Archive
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Kalighat Pat, BengalWhat began literally as a tradition of souvenirs for pilgrims and visitors at the Kali temple in Kolkata is now seen as one of the most important movements of art that has inspired generations of artists in West Bengal with its strong outlines and slight hint of shading. The Kalighat patuas, or artists, combined the local indigenous tradition with what they saw as
Image by DAG Library & Archive
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Tanjore, Tamil NaduTanjore &mdash now Thanjavur &mdash paintings originated in the 17th century Maratha court and are an amalgamation of Deccani, Maratha and Company styles, though their essence is uniquely South Indian.
