Painting & Drawing Traditions

Karnataka

Mysore painting

A classical South Indian painting style using gesso work and gold leaf, historically patronised by the Mysore royal court.

Tamil Nadu

Thanjavur painting

Devotional panel painting known for raised gesso work, inlaid stones and gold-foil highlights.

Maharashtra

Warli painting

Tribal wall painting in white on mud-coloured grounds, built from circles, triangles and lines.

Gujarat

Rogan art

Painting on cloth with a thick, brightly coloured paste made from castor oil, kept alive in Nirona village, Kutch.

Madhya Pradesh

Gond painting

Vivid, detailed paintings of animals, trees and myths made by Gond artists.

Odisha

Pattachitra

Cloth-based scroll painting of mythological scenes, especially of Lord Jagannath, from Odisha.

Bihar

Madhubani painting

Bold, densely patterned paintings of deities, nature and ritual, from the Mithila region.

Jharkhand

Paitkar painting

Scroll painting that tells stories in sequence, practised in Jharkhand.

Andhra Pradesh

Kalamkari

Hand-painted and block-printed cotton textiles coloured with natural dyes.

Telangana

Cheriyal scroll painting

Long narrative scroll paintings used by storytellers, from Cheriyal.

Himachal Pradesh

Kangra miniature painting

Delicate miniature painting known for lyrical scenes of Radha and Krishna and soft colours.

Sikkim

Thangka painting

Buddhist scroll painting of deities and mandalas on cloth.

Ladakh

Ladakhi thangka painting

Buddhist scroll painting made in Ladakh's monastic tradition.

Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu

Warli painting (Dadra and Nagar Haveli)

Tribal wall painting of the Warli community of Dadra and Nagar Haveli.