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Every country has certain set of art styles developed by the residents of that country years ago. Thus, all the painting styles made during that time are now known as traditional paintings of that country in specific.  Just like every country has certain traditional art forms which speak volume about the prevalent culture, traditions, and customs of that country, India also has many art forms that leave every onlooker amazed. In fact, the traditional paintings of other countries might have lost their prominence with time, the Indian ones still haven’t. Their magnificence stays intact in the hearts of not just Indians but other individuals across the world as well. Though some artists have modernized the process of the making of such paintings, some haven’t. Nevertheless, most of the traditional art forms are practiced till now in India.

Even though every traditional painting is made differently, there is one thing that most of them even after being diverse, share in common. Wondering what it is? Well, it is the subject of these paintings, most of them depict the scenes from Mahabharata or Ramayana. If not that, they make the gods they believe in, on the canvas.

Out of all such art styles, we have chosen the few most popular and exquisite ones for this blog. Take a look to know about these art forms as they surely are the best addition to your spaces.

Mithila Art–

This art form is also known as Madhubani painting and is practiced not just in India but parts of Nepal as well. Originated in the realm of Janak, Madhubani art is also known as Mithila art as this art form was developed in a small region of Bihar known as Mithila. This painting can be identified by the repetitive use of geometrical patterns. Moreover, it was made usually by the women who considered this as a way of uniting with God. This art form was not known to many till the time an earthquake came during British rule. The Britishers saw these paintings on the walls of the broken houses and loved the way they depicted the Almighty and the elements of nature.

Kalamkari-

The word ‘Kalam’ means, ‘Pen’ and the work ‘Kari’ means ‘drawing’, and thus Kalamkari means ‘Drawing using a pen’. In India kalamkari is practiced in two ways, one is Machilipatnam and the other one is Srikalahasti. While the former one originates from the state Machilipatnam of Andhra Pradesh, the latter is from Chittoor. Machilipatnam involves using blocks to print things and Srikalahasti involves making of art with a freely flowing hand. Mostly this art showcases scenes from Ramayana and Mahabharata.

Tanjore-

Tanjore paintings are also known as Thanjavur paintings and were originated long back in 1600 AD. The painting style got its other name Thanjavur paintings from a town in South India, Thanjavur. The artists practicing this art form make paintings of deities and saints on wooden planks. It is really easy to recognize this art form as its idiosyncratic feature is the usage of gold foil and gems and stones to embellish the apparel of the icon.

Cheriyal Scrolls-

This traditional paintings style has originated in Telangana. However, this art form is dying rapidly as it is only practiced by Nakashi Family. Cheriyal scrolls showcase epics and Puranas. The scrolls are forty to forty-five feet scrolls were used by saints to narrate the epics. The form is inspired by the Kalamkari art and the tradition of making scrolls and it came up as a more stylized and perfect blend of both these.

Pattachitra –

Pattachitra is a cloth-based painting which is practiced in West Bengal and Odisha. The paintings depict epics, goddesses and gods using sharp, bold and angular lines. The word ‘Patta’ mean ‘Cloth’ and ‘Chitra’ means ‘picture’, so, Pattachitra literally means picture on a cloth. These paintings have floral borders and the best kind of Pattachitra paintings can be found in the Raghurajpur village of Orrisa. In fact, with time, this art form went on to develop a new school of painting that is Puri school of painting.

The aforementioned traditional paintings style are the best for sprucing up your ambiance if you believe strongly in the presence of the Almighty and want to nurture that power even more. However, if you don’t want to make your space look this traditional, you can save these paintings for your praying or meditation room. Ganesha painting, Shiva painting or a painting of any other deity whom you believe in, can be bought. Doing so will surely elevate the positive aura around you.

Happy buying!