The whole Indian culture can easily be said to be reflected in the paintings which has its roots in religious institutions and in the royal monuments of the great empires. The temple paintings of the south derived an early inspiration from the exquisite Buddhist frescoes of the Ajanta caves. The golden era of the Indian paintings can be seen from the the Mughal rule, the known patrons of art,who helped to develop the thriving court tradition of miniature paintings in the north. The paintings of this period reflected the style of persian art.

The most expressive form of folk arts are the colourful floor designs, known by different names in various regions, 'kolam' in South India, 'rangoli' in Gujarat and Maharashtra, 'osa' in Orissa, 'aripana' in Bihar, 'mandana' in Rajasthan and 'alpana' in West Bengal and Assam. They are designed at the doorway to the home by the women folk, both as a means of decoration and as a symbol of good omen. Rice paste, wheat flour, earth and vegetable dyes are used for the variety of colours and its designs are symbolic with geometric or floral patterns like squares, circles, triangles, lotus, fish, footprints (supposed to be of goddess Lakshmi), leaves, trees, animals, etc. The 'kolams' designed during 'Pongal' - the harvest festival, are especially delightful to behold.

Wall paintings are another powerful form of art. These have deeper, narrative themes unlike the symbolic themes of floor coverings.While in some regions the wall paintings are made to mark festive occasions and family rituals, as in Punjab and Kumaon, in most of the regions they are an artistic vehicle for the tales from the religious epics, folklore and local history as seen in the temples, palaces and mansions of states such as Kerala, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Orissa, Maharashtra, Gujarat. Especially popular is Rajasthan for its wealth of the most prolific and exciting murals of the Rajput period.

Among the notable tribal wall paintings are the rhythmically executed Warli paintings of Maharashtra - the white line paintings that encapsulate the folk traditions of the Warlis ; and the Madhubani paintings of Bihar - the expessive paintings with themes ranging from Ramayana scenes to deities to every day life .

The delectable style of painting on wood, has become a speciality of Thanjavur (Karnataka). These bright paintings are embellished with gold leaves, semi-precious stones & gilted metal pieces and portray images of Lord Krishna in white interspersed with colour. Another lovely modification of these wooden masterpieces are the glass paintings of Thanjavur, a technique originally imported from Europe.

Cloth is another extraordinary canvas for the paintings of India. At the major religious centres, painters produce pictures of local deities on a piece of cloth. Most famous is 'pichhwai' - a large painting on cloth, depicting Srinathji, or Lord Krishna in various costumes, a speciality of Nathdwara (Rajasthan). Equally attractive are 'Phads' - the cloth paintings of Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh. portraying folk tales and legends.

The tradition of painting living spaces continued well into the 20th century till it was finally overtaken by the Western practice of painting walls a boring old pastel. Art slowly began to jump off the walls and on to palm leaves, wood blocks, cloth and ivory. As you read up more about painting in India, you’ll find that it was entirely dependent on religious and royal patronage. This is perhaps why ‘art’ became a big thing only during the reign of the Mughals. The Delhi Sultanate was too philistine to understand anything but the language of the sword. They probably thought heads impaled on spears were the best exhibit money could buy. Be that as it may, here’s a crash course in the kinds of paintings you are likely to encounter in India.

Alpana (Bengal), kolam (South India), rangoli (Maharashtra), osa (Orissa), aripana (Bihar), sona rakhna (Uttar Pradesh), sathiya (Gujarat) are all names for auspicious, multi-coloured floor decorations made by Hindus all over the country. Usually drawn at the doorway of a home, they can be geometric or floral and are done afresh every morning.