The Living Art Traditions of India Notes in English Class 12 Fine Art Chapter-8 Book-1

India has a timeless tradition of art practiced by common people living in forests, deserts, mountains, and villages—far from city life. Unlike royal or courtly art, these local art forms were created by ordinary people using natural materials and simple tools, passed down through generations. Even without formal education, these artists made pottery, clothes, jewellery, wall and floor decorations, and ritual items for daily use and local markets. These works show deep creativity, symbolism, and aesthetic sense. Called folk, tribal, ritual, or utility art, they have existed since ancient times, as seen in cave paintings and Indus Valley crafts. In the 19th–20th centuries, modern artists began drawing inspiration from these traditions. After Independence, the handicraft industry was revived and organized, with each state promoting its unique art in emporiums. These traditions, deeply tied to religion and daily life, form an important part of India’s rich and living cultural heritage.

Painting Tradition

Among the many popular traditions of painting, Mithila or Madhubani painting of Bihar, Warli painting of Maharshtra, Pithoro Painting of North Gujarat and western Madhya Pradesh, Pabuji ki Phad from Rajasthan, Pichhwai of Nathdwara in Rajasthan, Gond and Sawara Paintings of Madhya Pradesh, Pata Chitra of Odisha and Bengal, etc., are few examples. Here, a few of them have been discussed.

Mithila painting

Origin & Location

Mithila painting, also known as Madhubani painting (named after a town in Bihar), originates from the ancient Videha kingdom, the birthplace of Sita. Practiced mainly by women in northern Bihar, this art form has been passed down for centuries and is traditionally created during ceremonies like weddings and festivals.

Legendary Origin

Mithila painting is believed to have begun during the time of Sita’s marriage to Lord Rama. Traditionally, women painted on the walls of their mud houses during auspicious occasions, using it as a form of blessing and celebration.

Location and Themes in the House

1. Outer or Central Courtyard

Mithila paintings often depict armed gods, animals, and everyday scenes like women carrying waterpots or winnowing grain, reflecting both religious beliefs and daily village life.

2. Eastern Part (Kuladevi Shrine)

In many Mithila paintings, the art is dedicated to Goddess Kali or the family deity (Kuladevi). These paintings are considered sacred and ceremonial, created as part of religious rituals and family traditions.

3. Southern Part – Kohbar Ghar

In Mithila tradition, the most important room is painted especially for weddings. It features the Kohbar—a lotus in bloom symbolizing fertility and union—along with Tantric symbols, gods and goddesses. These paintings are made on freshly plastered walls, adding spiritual and cultural significance to the ceremony.

Inner Verandah – Devasthana / Gosain Ghar

These wedding room paintings also include images of Griha devatas (household gods) and Kula devatas (ancestral gods), reflecting devotion, family traditions, and blessings for the newlyweds.

Popular Themes

Mithila paintings often depict scenes from religious epics such as the Ramayana and the Bhagvata Purana, along with divine stories of Shiva–Parvati, Durga, Kali, and the Rasa-Lila of Radha and Krishna, blending devotion with artistic expression.

Style and Technique

Mithila paintings are known for their bright, bold colours and densely filled compositions, leaving no empty spaces. Common motifs like birds, flowers, animals, fish, snakes, the sun, and the moon are used, each with symbolic meanings—fish for fertility, sun and moon for the eternal cycle of life, snakes for protection, and birds and flowers for beauty and love. These elements blend aesthetic appeal with rich cultural significance.

Tools and Materials

Mithila paintings are traditionally made using bamboo twigs with tips of cotton or rice straw as brushes. The colours are prepared from natural materials like phalsa and kusum flowers, bilwa leaves, kajal (soot), turmeric, mineral stones, and organic dyes, giving the art its earthy and vibrant look.

Modern Development

Today, Mithila paintings are also created on paper, fabric, and pots for commercial purposes and have gained global recognition, moving beyond walls while preserving their traditional charm.

Key Points Summary

Mithila art is a vibrant and symbolic folk painting style with ceremonial roots. Originally created by women on the walls of their homes, it is now adapted to paper and fabric for wider markets. Its themes include mythology, fertility, family deities, and scenes from daily rural life. The art is highly decorative, using natural colours and rich folk symbolism.

Warli painting

The Warli community of northern Maharashtra, especially in Thane district, is known for its traditional Chowk paintings, created by married women during rituals of marriage, fertility, harvest, and sowing. At the center is Palaghat, the mother goddess of fertility, depicted within a square frame adorned with chevrons symbolizing Hariyali Deva, the plant god. Her guardian, Panch Sirya Devata—a headless warrior with five corn shoots—represents Khetrapal, the field protector. Surrounding scenes show daily life, farming, dancing, urban views, and animals like tigers. Painted with rice flour on mud walls using chewed bamboo sticks, these artworks are believed to promote fertility, protect against disease, and honor spirits.

Gond painting

Gonds of Madhya Pradesh have a rich tradition with their chiefs ruling over Central India. They worshipped nature. Paintings of Gonds of Mandla and its surrounding regions have recently been transformed into a colourful depiction of animals, humans and flora. The votive paintings are geometric drawings done on the walls of huts, portraying Krishna with his cows surrounded by gopis with pots on their heads to which young girls and boys make offerings. 

Pithoro painting

Rathva Bhils from Panchmahal (Gujarat) and Jhabua (Madhya Pradesh) create large, colorful wall paintings on their houses for special or thanksgiving occasions. These paintings feature rows of horse-riding deities, forming a cosmographic vision. The top section depicts the world of gods, celestial beings, and mythical creatures, while a wavy line separates it from the lower section, which shows the wedding procession of Pithoro, along with minor deities, kings, farmers, animals, and others—symbolizing the earthly realm.

Pata painting

1. Scroll Paintings in India

Scroll paintings are traditional artworks done on fabric, palm leaves, or paper. They are found in many regions—especially Gujarat and Rajasthan in the West, and Odisha and West Bengal in the East. They are known by different names like Pata, Pachedi, and Phad.

2. Bengal Patachitra Tradition

In West Bengal, Bengal patas are painted on cloth and used for storytelling by performers called Patuas or Chitrakars. These artists come from regions like Midnapore, Birbhum, and Bankura, and also from parts of Bihar and Jharkhand. It is their family tradition to paint and perform stories using vertical scrolls. They move from village to village, singing 3–4 stories during each performance and receive gifts or money in return.

3. Puri Patachitra from Odisha

Puri in Odisha is famous for Patachitra—a scroll painting form related to the Jagannath temple. These paintings, originally done on palm leaves and cloth, are now also made on paper. Themes include different festival attires (veshas) of Jagannath, Balabhadra, and Subhadra (e.g., Padma Vesha, Krishna-Balaram Vesha), scenes from Jagannath myths, and souvenirs (Jatri Patti) for pilgrims.

4. Painting Process and Materials

Patachitras are painted on cotton cloth prepared with white stone powder and tamarind seed glue. Artists first draw borders, sketch figures with a brush, and fill in flat natural colours like white, black, yellow, and red. After painting, lacquer is applied over charcoal fire to add shine and water resistance. All colours are organic—black from lamp soot, yellow and red from natural stones, and white from conch shells.

5. Palm Leaf Manuscripts

Paintings are also made on a special palm leaf called Khar-taad. Artists don’t use brushes, but engrave the design using a steel stylus. The lines are filled with ink and sometimes coloured. Text may be added along with the image. These works link to both folk and classical mural traditions.

Phads of Rajasthan

1. What are Phads?

Phads are long, horizontal cloth scrolls used for storytelling. They are painted to honour folk deities of cattle-herding communities in Bhilwara, Rajasthan.

2. Focus on Livestock Protection

Pastoral communities value their cattle deeply. Their gods and legends often feature brave men who died protecting livestock from robbers. These heroes are called Bhomias.

3. Famous Bhomias

Popular cattle-protecting heroes include:

• Gogaji

• Jejaji

• Dev Narayan

• Ramdevji

• Pabhuji

They are worshipped by communities like Rabaris, Gujjars, Meghwals, and Regars.

4. Bhopa – The Storyteller

Phads are carried by Bhopas, who are travelling singers and storytellers. They perform all night, singing and narrating heroic tales depicted in the phad scroll. As they tell the story, a lamp is used to illuminate each image. Traditional instruments like the ravanahattha and veena accompany their performance, and the singing is done in the Khyal style, blending drama, music, and devotion.

5. Who Paints the Phads?

Phads are not painted by Bhopas; instead, they are traditionally created by Joshis, a community of skilled artists who once served in the royal courts of Rajasthan. Trained in miniature painting techniques, the Joshis are responsible for crafting the intricate scrolls, while Bhopas bring them to life through performance and storytelling.

6. Cultural Importance

Phad paintings combine art, music, and storytelling, serving as a vibrant medium to preserve the memory of folk heroes, often seen as martyrs. This unique tradition is a collaboration between court artists (Joshis) who paint the scrolls, and folk performers (Bhopas) who sing and narrate the stories, making Phads a deeply respected cultural practice.

Sculptural Traditions

These refer to the popular traditions of making sculptures in clay (terracotta), metal and stone. There are numerous such traditions across the country. Some of them are discussed here.

Dhokra casting

1. What is Dhokra Art?

Dhokra is a traditional metal sculpture craft made using the lost wax (cire perdue) technique. It is especially popular in Bastar (Chhattisgarh), Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, and Midnapore (West Bengal). The process involves casting bronze into intricate and artistic forms, reflecting tribal themes and everyday life.

2. Who are the Dhokra Artisans?

The metal artisans who create Dhokra art are known as Ghadwa, a word derived from the act of shaping or creating. Traditionally, they crafted items such as utensils, jewellery, deity idols, and votive offerings like snakes, elephants, and ritual pots, often used in religious and cultural ceremonies.

3. Changing Times and Crafts

As the demand for traditional items declined, Ghadwa artisans adapted by creating decorative items and introducing new, non-traditional designs, keeping the craft alive in modern markets while maintaining its artistic essence.

4. Materials Used

Dhokra artisans use a mix of black riverbank soil and rice husk, along with cow dung, clay, and resin from the Saal tree to create the mould. They also use mustard oil, ant hill clay, and bronze or other metal pieces for casting, blending natural materials with traditional techniques.

5. Step-by-Step Dhokra Casting Process

Step 1: Making the Core Mold

Black soil mixed with rice husk is kneaded into clay, which is then shaped into the basic figure or core of the sculpture and left to dry.

Step 2: Applying Layers

The dried core is covered with a mixture of clay and cow dung. Fine details like eyes, nose, and decorative designs are added using resin threads. Finally, a smooth outer layer is applied using ant hill clay mixed with rice husk.

Step 3: Setting up the Casting

A clay receptacle is attached to the bottom of the figure, and a sealed cup filled with metal pieces is fixed on top. The entire setup is then placed in a furnace and heated using Saal wood or coal.

Step 4: Heating and Pouring the Metal

The setup is heated for 2–3 hours until the metal melts. The molten metal is then poured into the mould, where the resin burns away, leaving a hollow space that gets filled with the metal.

Step 5: Final Touch

After cooling, the mould is carefully broken and removed, revealing the final metal sculpture with its detailed design and form.

6. Significance of Dhokra Art

Dhokra art beautifully combines functionality and artistry, representing the cultural identity of tribal communities. It is known for its unique patterns, tribal themes, and long-lasting durability, making each piece both useful and deeply symbolic.

Terracotta

Terracotta is a widely used sculptural medium across India, traditionally made by potters from local clay found near rivers or ponds. These pieces are baked for strength and often serve as votive offerings to local deities during rituals and festivals. Found in regions like Manipur, Assam, Kutch, Tamil Nadu, the Gangetic plains, and Central India, terracotta forms vary but usually depict gods like Ganesh and Durga, as well as animals, birds, and insects. They are hand-molded, wheel-made, colored, or decorated, reflecting a shared tradition with regional styles.