Discover the beauty of India's native art

The tribal and folk art have survived the onslaught of time and blended with the varied culture of India

Apr 16, 2016, 06:06 IST2 min

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Madhubani, Bihar

Probably India’s most well-known folk art form, Madhubani — or, correctly, Mithila — paintings date back to the celebration of Sita’s 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, Rajasthan
There 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—or phad—contained vignettes of the life of Pabuji, or of Dev Narayan, folk heroes enshrined in the paintings, and hence in collective memory, as deities, thus making these enactments sacred as well as entertaining.

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, Bengal
What 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 Western intervention, to result in a style that marked India’s earliest shift towards modernism.

Image by DAG Library & Archive

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Tanjore, Tamil Nadu
Tanjore — now Thanjavur — 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.

Image by DAG Library & Archive