Folk paintings are the traditional forms of Indian paintings dating back to an era referred to as 'timeless'. These paintings generally are inherently linked with the cultural settings which they come from as well as the regional history.

Derived from the Sanskrit words patta (a piece of cloth), chitra (painting or picture), Patachitra is a folk art form drawn on a piece of silk, cotton or any other fabric, portraying traditional motifs and imageries of religion and society. Art work drawn on a piece of silk or cotton or any other fabric portraying traditional motifs of religion and society is called ‘pata’ art. As an art form ‘pata’ may be traced back to ancient times. Though considerably weakened under the impact of modernity, this art from is still practiced by untrained artists and still in great demand. As a folk art it reflects an important aspect of Bengal’s cultural heritage.

Pata art is of two kinds — art on a broad sheet of folded cloth and miniscule art on a short piece of fabric. The fabric in fact forms the base for pata art. Clay, cowdung and some sticky elements are skillfully added to the fabric. When dried, the fabric becomes tough but mellow enough to sustain the stroke of the artist’s brush. When completely dried, the artists draw on it religious motifs including deities Puranic anecdotes and slokas (chants).

Several holy places of the Hindus - Kailash, Vrindaban, Ayodhya commonly appeared in pata art. This art form flourished in Bengal particularly during the Buddhist period. Vignettes of the Buddha’s life and his preachings also find a place in the pata art. From the 8^th century onward, the pata tradition was monopolised by the Hindus -Yadu (Krishna’s clan), Yama (god of death), Chandi (a manifestation of Shakti / female power), the ten incarnations Vishnu, deeds of Rama, love life of Krishna, became the predominant themes of Hindu pata art.

The famous Kalighat pata began principally as painting of religious icons, to be sold to the devotees who came to worship at the Kalighat temple, in the heart of Kolkata. Gradually the medium shifted from cloth to paper. The urban experience saw recognisable living characters and stereotypes, being inscribed on the canvas as visual images. Caricatures that lampooned contemporary events and social malaise took the Kalighat pata further away from its original traditional religious connotation and content to a much wider, eclectic and secular expression. This was the time when the craft blossomed into a full-fledged art form.

The arrival of the lithograph and the printing press pushed the Kalighat pata into near oblivion. However, the re-discovery and adaptation of its figurative style by the maestro Nandalal Bose, into a new language of painting has helped the Kalighat pata style to leave an indelible impact on the contemporary Indian art. The popular mytho-religious themes are Mahishasuramardini, Kamale-Kamini, Behula-Lakhindar, Manasa-Chandsadagor, Radha-Krishna, Chaitanyaleela, to name a few.

The celebrated Warli paintings sprung from the life and rituals of the Warli tribe, inhabiting the remote corners of the Western Ghats in Maharashtra. This simple yet vivid painting style is believed to have originated sometime around the 10^th century AD However, considering its simplicity of form and figure, it can be assumed to be dating back to the Neolithic period between 2500 BC and 3000 BC.

These paintings depict diverse aspects of everyday life, using extremely basic object forms and just one colour – white – on a sober mud base. Their appeal lies in their lack of pretentiousness in conveying profound meanings using elementary object forms. Each painting is usually an entire scene containing various elements of nature including people, animals, trees, hills etc.

Madhubani painting

Also known as Mithila Art, (because it flourishes in the Mithila region of Bihar), Madhubani is characterized by line drawings filled in by bright colours and contrasts or patterns. This style of painting has been traditionally done by the women of the region, though nowadays men are also getting more and more involved.