Surangama Roy

Nathadwara painting is a style of painting which has originated from the Nathadwara town in Rajsamand district, Rajasthan. This painting is associated with the religious beliefs and traditions of Vallabha Sampradaya of the followers of Vaishnavism and Pushti Marg. This art form has different sub-styles like Pichhvai painting, Haveli painting, etc.
Modern artists have put a lot of effort into modernising the art according to the want of the present times. Its use is also no longer confined to devotional purposes and is made into beautiful wall hangings and room decorations.

Masan painting is a primordial artform that is found to be practiced mainly in northern West Bengal and northern Bangladesh including some parts of Assam, Meghalaya, Bihar, and eastern Nepal. The word Masan is derived from the word “Shashan” which is the Bengali of the Hindu cremation ground. Masan art, also known as Masan chitrakala, is mainly practiced by the Rajbangshi (Rajbonshi) tribe in Bengal and it has high cultural and religious importance in the lives of the Rajbangshi community. 

Assam has a rich history of art and culture. The earliest mention of Assamese Manuscript Painting was found in the account of Chinese traveller Xuanzang. The painted manuscripts of the middle ages had traditional paintings on them based on stories from Hastividyanarva, the Chitra Bhagawata and Geet Govinda. Miniatures are paintings small in size whose reference was found in the accounts of Bana, the court poet of King Harshavardhana.

Chowkpurana is a north Indian floor and wall art form practiced in the states of Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, etc. This artwork is done at festivals and special occasions like marriage. The word 'Chowk Purana' is a combination of two words, Chowk means square and Purana means to fill.

Bhojpuri painting is a folk painting style popularly practiced in Bhojpur Purvanchal region of Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, and Jharkhand. It is a very old artform supposedly practiced even before the reign of Emperor Ashoka. During the modern time, artists have brought this wall artform on fabric and made handmade face masks, sarees, wall hangings, and stoles to popularize the art. The Arrah station of Bihar has also been beautified using Bhojpuri painting.

Aipan painting is a Kumaoni ritualistic painting that originated in the Almora district of Uttarakhand. This art form is mainly practiced by women and it has immense socio-cultural and religious importance. This art is done on Geru, which is brick red empty walls using a white paste called Bisvar made of rice flour or by pasting cooked rice in water.
The commonly drawn designs are conch shells, creepers, different types of floral patterns, Swastika, footprints of Goddesses, and various geometrical patterns along with motifs related to divinity and various natural elements.

Sabai Grass (Eulaliopsis binata) is found in the Chota Nagpur Plateau region of West Bengal and Odisha. It has characteristic long leaves and its importance was first identified by the British who used it for military purposes. Since those areas face scarcity of water, the people, mostly women, took up rope making from Sabai grass as their profession. Then with the training provided by the Self Help Groups, artists switched to different types of craft making like furniture, baskets, coasters, wall hangings, etc using Sabai grass.

India has a wide range of traditional games and toys which reflects the cultural diversity of the country.At present, the condition of the Indian toy industry is shrinking due to the emergence of modern remote-controlled plastic toys and computer and video games. To support the artists, the Government of India has taken some positive steps by making a National Action Plan and conducting a virtual Toy Fair. Many platforms have started selling traditional toys within the country as well as abroad to boost the Indian toy industry.

India has a wide range of traditional games and toys which reflects the cultural diversity of the country. Most of them have their origin during the time of the Indus Valley Civilization. Different types of indigenous games are Lattoo, marbles, blocks and puzzles, various board games, and miniatures kitchen sets.

Jamini Roy was an Indian painter (11th April 1887-24th April 1972) whose contribution to Indian art is unfathomable. Although he was taught the traditional Western art methods, soon he looked for new inspiration in Indian traditional folk art and created his own originality. He became best known for blending traditional Indian art and Western art for creating unique and complex works.