India has a rich legacy of music, culture, sports and arts. However, these different art forms were always interrelated in the country. The traditional Indian art is not only deep-rooted in the culture of the country but it has marked a unique identity in the world.
Also, mythology impacted art forms greatly. Ranging from North to South and West to East, every state has its own art form.
Popular art forms
In this blog, we have mentioned 5 popular Indian Art forms that are popular in London.
- Warli Painting
The ancient tribal Indian painting art form originated between Adivasis. It developed in Maharashtra somewhere amid the Northern Sahyadri range. It is said that warli painting originated in 2500 – 3000 BCE.
The painting is all about basic elements like circles, triangles, squares and lines. Almost everything is inspired by nature.
It is preferably drawn on red background with white colour. The white colour is made from rice paste and gum.
- Dhokra Craft
The wax casting cart is a famous Indian Art in London. Dhokra art from Orissa is a thousand years old tradition. It has been around from the last 4000 years. Artefacts made from this wax-casting technique are one of the earliest sculptures that were found in ancient civilization including Mohenjodro.
These artefacts are considered quite charmful because of their raw and primitive looks. Their simplicity and patterns attract customers. There are idols of animals, birds, religious symbols, measuring bowls, lampshades, caskets and everything is made from using efficient techniques.
- Patthatkatti
Another popular Indian art that flourished in India is carving. Ajanta, Ellora and Khajuraho are proper illustrations of this art form. The traces of this ancient Indian art form are found in Gaya, Bihar.
Pattharkatti in Bihar started from black stone carvings. There are statues of various deities and then there are other household items like plates and bowls made from this form of art.
For polishing the idols, traditional techniques are used.
- Gond Art
Just like Warli, Gond art is another popular tribal art. It started from the central part of India. The art represents close proximity to forests. The designs of this art form are inspired from mountains, hills, rivers and trees.
Lines and dots are used to create the pictures. Social customs play an important role in this art form.
These paintings are made on floors, walls, or ceilings of the house during festival celebrations.
The art flows like poetry.
- Kalamkari
This is a hand painting/block painting technique which originated in Kalahasti and Masulipatnam is Southern India. This painting is done on cotton fabric.
The art form gained popularity during the patronage of Golkonda Kings and Mughal rulers.
The traditional Kalamkari designs include temples, chariots, temple hangings and scenes from different Indian epics including Ramayana and Mahabharta. The mythological stories are encrypted on the cloth.
The designs are created with the help of a bamboo stick. The painting gets completed in 17 different steps and only natural dyes are used for the process.
The enticing and beautiful art forms of India can make everyone fall in love with. This fascinating art form adds to the glory of the country.