Q for Quaint Indian Art

Welcome to the "Believe it or Not- That's Incredible India!" series. India is home to some of the most astonishing wonders in the world. The rich culture, heritage, food, scriptures, architectural marvels and scores of known and unknown facts come together to create this multicolored melange that is India. Throughout this month, read about the various believe it or not facts about India and know what goes into the making of this incredible country!

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Ancient India seems to have been a hub of art and culture since time immemorial. The sculptures, the paintings, the rock and cave architecture, textile printing, stone sculpturing, jewellery carving, puppetry, mural art, calligraphy, handicrafts and artifacts show that Indians had a great eye for various art forms. It is impossible to do justice to each one of them here. So here are some of my favorites-

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Kundan - Meenakari jewellery of Rajasthan –skillfully and intricately carved jewellery are set with precious uncut stones called kundan stones and then enameled with gold. Did you know that making Meenakari jewellery goes through an assembly line of craftsmen? It is still made in the same way it was 500 years ago.

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Warli art of Maharashtra dates back to 2500 BC. This tribal art made on a mud base using white paint looks simple and yet amazingly beautiful.

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The Tanjavur paintings of South India are colourful and breathtakingly beautiful. They were earlier painted using real diamonds, rubies and precious stones and set in gold and silver foil. Now semiprecious stones are used.  

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The stunning Madhubani paintings of Bihar are made using organic colours and are inspired by nature and mythology. They are said to have originated from the times of the Ramayana.

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Pashmina shawls of Kashmir made from the wool of the Central Asian mountain goat are exquisitely embroidered, soft and light in weight and yet amazingly warm and cosy.

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Appliqué and metal works of Orissa is about 850 years old. Intricate stitches and mind blowing embroidery techniques make this handicraft one of a kind.

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The clay handicrafts originated in India during the Indus valley civilization. One of the famous clay crafts are the Terracota crafts of Assam.

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Marble carving of Agra is one of the most beautiful crafts. Intricately carved pieces with floral and geometric designs is a testimony to the patience and dedication of the master craftsmen.

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Indians also had expertise in carvings on metals like bronze, silver, gold etc . The Filigree carvings of Andhra Pradesh stand out among them. It is astounding to see how craftsmen painstaking create delicately carved metal with beautiful patterns.

There art forms are not even one percent of the whole! There’s so much creativity crammed into every nook and corner of the country that it would take ages to explore and enjoy the beauty of each one of them.

Believe it or not – That’s Incredible India!