Indian culture is seeped in its traditions and deep-rooted history and Indian art forms are a reflection of that culture. Bursts of colour and vivid mythological descriptions dominate the canvas. The Indian styles of paintings have unique origins and history behind them which make them even more interesting. Here are 8 Indian art styles which you should know about. Tanjore Painting- Tamil Nadu Tanjore style of paintings were first painted during the 16th century and under the Chola regime, this art form found its calling. Known for its use of vibrant colours, rich surfaces, and embellishments, Tanjore paintings originated from the Thanjavur district in Tamil Nadu. The themes of Tanjore paintings are mostly Hindu Gods and Goddesses. Interestingly, the main subject is always painted in the center of the frame. Tanjore Paintings are painted on wooden planks which are colloquially known as ‘Palagai Padam‘.

Rajput Painting- Rajputana

Rajput art forms flourished in the 18th century in the royal courts of Rajputana. Scenes from Ramayana and Mahabharata dictate this art form. Colours used for these paintings were extracted from precious minerals like gold and silver, stones and plant sources. This was a lengthy process and would sometimes even take weeks.

Kalamkari Painting- Andhra Pradesh

Kalamkari literally means, “pen-art”. Kalamkari paintings are either hand painted or block printed on cotton fabric. This art form flourished under the rule of the Golconda Sultanat. It was first developed and evolved at Machilipatnam in Andhra Pradesh but its popularity soon spread to the other states. As far as the popular belief goes, in olden days, groups of artisans, musicians and singers known as chitrakattis would travel from village to village and narrate tales of Hindu mythology. As time passed, they even started illustrating these stories on canvas and thus Kalamkari was born.