What brings you closer to the culture and its traditions? The exotic and ethnic artforms of India. Likewise, the rare artforms of India have been the face of the country’s rich artists heritage. At India Chalk, we have made it easy for you to practice, learn and co-create these rare artforms of India. Scroll down to know more about these artforms and their schedule.

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Pichwai Painting

The literal meaning of the word Pichwai is ‘Pich’ meaning  ‘back’ and ‘Wai’ meaning ‘hanging’. Together they mean ‘paintings hanging in the backyard’. As a matter of fact, This art form has its roots in the holy town of Nathdwara in Rajasthan, where Lord Krishna resides in the famous Shrinath Ji temple. Through this artform, artists not only paint the life of Krishna, but also his moods, body postures and attires.

Pichwai Painting workshop – 29th August 2021.
Native to the region of Rajasthan.
Stay tuned with us for more information.

Talapatra Chitra Art

Known as Devakala in the Odia language, the palm leaf painting extensively involves painting stories of Mahabharata, Ramayana, Shiva Purana and other religious scriptures. The process of the painting is critical – firstly the artists dry the leaf in the sun and then soak it in water, secondly, they apply a special treatment with turmeric. Correspondingly, This process gives the leaf a firmness required for carving. Artists uniquely carve marvellous designs into the leaf with the help of a sharp tool.

Talapatra Chitra workshop – 04th September 2021.
Native to the region of Odisha.
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Molela Terracotta Art

Artists create brightly painted terracotta plaques and figurines of the local deities and gods out of Molela. Legend has it that a blind potter regained his sight when he followed the instructions given by Lord Dharmaraja in his dream. He created an amazing terracotta idol of Lord Dharmaraja Since then, the tradition of making terracotta idols has followed.

Molela Terracotta workshop – 08th September 2021.
Native to the region of Rajasthan.
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Tholu Bommalata Art

Puppetry is a popular form of storytelling through puppets that are personified and animated by a puppeteer. With a string of stories sewed into a puppet play, it acts as a great medium to portray a culture of a state, rural issues, awareness plays and much more. Tholu Doodling art takes inspiration from Andhra Pradesh’s Tholu Bommalata art. Today, it has taken a special place in every art lover’s heart.

Tholu Bommalata workshop – 25th September 2021.
Native to the region of Andhra Pradesh.
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Chamba Rumal Embroidery

The Pahari School of Art is one of the many ancient heritage art schools of India. Chamba Rumal Embroidery is the brainchild of the Pahari School. A simple handkerchief serves as the backdrop for this embroidery. Since the 2nd Century BC, artists have been pouring their life into making these spectacular art pieces. Chamba Rumal became a symbol of luxury in medieval India.

Chamba Rumal Embroidery workshop – 29th September 2021.
Native to the region of Himachal Pradesh.
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Usta Art

The word Usta comes from the Persian word – Ustad, which means Master.  Not to mention that even this artform has travelled from the west into India. During the reign of Mughal Emperor Akbar, few artisans of Usta took patronage under Maharaj Rai Singh. Maharaj assigned these artists the task of creating a similar Usta artform for Junagarh Fort, Bikaner. The enormity of this art allows artists to perform significantly on ceilings, walls, glass, marbles and materials made from camel skin. 

Usta art workshop – 29th October 2021.
Native to the region of Rajasthan.
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Mandana Paintings

Mandana Painting – an exotic form of tribal art is native to the states of Madhya Pradesh & Rajasthan. Historians consider it to be one of the oldest art forms that have ever existed in India. As a matter of fact, the Meena tribal community are the pioneer of the Mandana artform. In other words, The women of the Meena tribe are the torch bearers of this artform. The tribal community draw these paintings on the walls to welcome Gods in their houses. 

Mandana Paintings workshop – 1st November 2021.
Native to the region of Madhya Pradesh
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Applique Khatwa Patchwork Art

Appliqué works in Bihar, India are a part of Applique Khatwa PatchWork. Khatwa is about designing by cutting off one fabric and stitching the pieces to another fabric. Artists particularly create designer tents, canopies and shamianas with the technique of Khatwa patchwork. It also applies daily activities and scenes on fabric. On the positive side, the technique derives from the recycling of old fabrics by sewing different fabrics to create one piece.

Applique Khatwa Patchwork – 09th November 2021.
Native to the region of Andhra Pradesh.
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Santhal Paintings

Artists use primary colours in Santhal Paintings. They are infested with leafy patterns in the foreground, background and borders, the Santhal Paintings are characterized by a directness and a child-like simplicity in the depiction of birds, animals and insects. The figures are static, frequently multicolour, artistic rather than realistic projections.

Santhal Painting workshop – 20th November 2021.
Native to the region of Mizoram.
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Cloth Painting

Nagaland’s graceful cloth painting; since the inception of this style, the shawls of Nagaland have attracted enthusiasts from all over the world. Cloth painting is one such famous art of Nagaland that transcends the boundaries of creativity. Additionally, tribal artists paint fierce animals like lions, elephants, weapons like spears on the cloth to depict the bravery of the warrior tribe. 

The Cloth Painting workshop – 28th November 2021.
Native to the region of Andhra Pradesh.
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Before You Hit The Back Button, Explore: 7 Hidden Street Art In India

This is just a glimpse of a few rare artforms of India. If you enjoyed this blog don’t forget to share it with your friends. Only our participation can turn these rare artforms of India into popular artforms of India. Get information about these artforms here. Get all information about the upcoming traditional Indian artforms workshops here.