India is a melting pot of culture, the Indian subcontinent hosts vivid communities, all with their different heritage, customs, and way of expressing their beliefs. That makes India a prime destination for flourishing artworks some of which date back to ancient times.

What is Indian art known for?

Just like our nation, Indian artworks are diverse in nature, each with its own unique techniques and aesthetics. Indian artwork is a treasury full of distinctive iconography of local flora and fauna with a union of mythological narratives and folktale themes.

The artworks are not only created for decor but also for ritual purposes which shows they are an integral of the Indian lifestyle. Made with local ingredients and skills passed on from one generation to another. These Indian artworks are a heritage of ancient Indian Civilization.

What makes Indian artworks an ideal present?

Gifts are the outward manifestations of the inner motive to show love, care, and respect to people who deserve a piece of our appreciation. May that be for the professional or personal relationship that we share. The best presents are symbolic expressions of the giver's identity, culture, and interests, as well as a sign of their knowledge.

What makes Indian artwork a very special present is not just its relative quality, it has much more to offer. Indian art is not a common gift since it is rare and distinctive, it is rarely given as a gift that inspires conversions. Indian artwork signifies local empowerment, endurance, skillfull workmanship, and most significantly, cultural pride.

Let's understand which elements of Indian artwork make it an ideal gift in detail through the means of various art itself. The traditional art forms of India are as follows. 

1. Lippan Art

Lippan art is a traditional Kutchi mural craft that involves decorating Bhungas (traditional buildings distinctive to the Kutch) with mud and mirrors. This art is regionally known as lippan kaam and is often practiced by pastoral communities in their own distinct style. Because of its striking geometric patterns and exquisite aesthetics, lippan art has found a place in many metropolitan homes.

Commercial lippan art is made on wooden boards and uses a variety of colours instead of traditional white and brown. For protection against insects, it only uses clay from the Lake of Kutch as opposed to the customary usage of cow dung. Mirror utilisation, aesthetic appeal, and geometric designs are perfectly replicated from classic lippan with added benefits of portability and durability.

The lippan kaam is ideal for home and office decor and is regarded as lucky by the locals. It represents the individuality of regional craftspeople and indigenous cultures; gifting lippan means offering kutch soil and contributing to support for lippan kaam.

2. Pattachitra paintings

Pattachita is a traditional cloth-based scroll painting, from Odisha and the West Bengal region of India. Pattachitra word is of Sanskrit origin where "Cloth" is denoted by Patta, and "image" by Chitra. It has ancient roots and was particularly influenced by the Vaishnava and Jagannath sects.

There are three different forms of Pattachitra paintings, depending on the media (such as cloth, wall, or leaf). All of these paintings more or less have the same style, depicting Scenes of Krishna Lila and ancient epics alongside local flora and fauna. the colours used in it are made from locally available plant and mineral-based ingredients. 

Pattachitra paintings are a big part of the celebration of the Jagannath yatra held annually in Odisha. During this, Chitrakars are collected during “Anasara” to produce Pattachita paintings for darshan in absence of idols. These paintings are essential for rituals and are also established in local homes for the same.

The pattachitra paintings are excellent gifts for festivals and are perfect for decorating homes, offices, and temples. Offering pattachitra entails giving beautiful, laborious hand-painted traditional miniatures as a gift. 

3.Warli paintings

Warli tribe is a mural craft practiced by a primitive agrarian tribe from the north Sahyadri range. They erect their huts on the same field they cultivate, their huts are built of bamboo and reed sticks, plastered over with cow dung and mud. These walls when decorated with a red background and motif made with white pigments are known as warli paintings.

Due to their composition methods, these paintings are regarded to be extremely closely related to cave paintings. Geometric shapes are used to show elements of mother nature, native lifestyle, and celebration of festivals and weddings. Warli paintings use animals, trees, the trapa dance, and trapa players to convey stories.

The warli paintings are ideal for home and office decor and are a matter of pride for many Maharashtrians. It represents the individuality of regional craftspeople and our ancient roots. Gifting warli is promoting indigenous culture and appreciation of unusual artwork.

4.Sanjhi art

Sanjhi art is a unique folk art that reached its prime during the 15th and 16th centuries through the Vaishnava temples. The word "sanjh" is derived from "sanjhi," which was said to be practiced after sundown. Sanjhi may also have been derived from the term "sahnjha," as all members of the family contributed equally to Sanjhi's creation. 

Sanjhi art is practiced on paper where the image carved with a scissor is the most known. Sanjhi art evolved throughout the years from dung Sanjhi murals to water Sanjhi, flowers Sanjhi, and finally paper Sanjhi. Sanjhi amazes people as things that are even difficult to draw and are crafted with a scissor. The motifs such as animals, trees, and deities depicted to portray Krishna leelas and other epical narratives are its main attraction.

The Sanjhi which was once the most prominent is now endangered. In a country with 139.34 crores population, Sanjhi is only commercially practiced by just one family. Currently, a small number of temples, including the Radharamana Temple in Vrindavan, sustain the survival of Sanjhi. Sanjhi is in need of our “sahnjha” efforts to help pass it to the next generation.  

The sanjhi is ideal for gifting during pitru paksha and is often established during that period. It represents the individuality of regional craftspeople and indigenous cultures; gifting sanjhi means patronizing an endangered ancient Indian artwork.

5. Suf embroidery

Suf embroidery is textile-based Indian artwork from the Kutch region of Gujarat. Suf embroidery is done from the back side of the cloth and its print is seen on the front side. Suf stands for triangular, The fabric is embellished with geometric designs like triangles and diamonds that integrate pieces of glass and mirrors. 

Traditionally, village women weave suf embroidery as a gift during festive celebrations and family occupations. Since it is given as a wedding present to the bride and groom, it is an integral element of the way of life. Suf is a highly deliberate art form that requires exact counting, close attention to detail, keen visual awareness, and the filling of symmetrical and geometric patterns.

The Suf embroidery is ideal for home and office decor. It represents the individuality of regional craftspeople and indigenous cultures. Promoting Suf means encouraging local culture and women's empowerment.