Other painting styles prevalent in India include kalamkari from southern India, pata from Orissa state, phad from Rajasthan state and thanka from Ladakh. Kalamkari is an ancient craft that uses hand painting and block printing with vegetable dyes, while pata is a tradition in which either cotton or silk cloth is treated with a combination of gum, chalk and tamarind to give it a leathery appearance. It depicts religious themes. Phad from Rajasthan state is characterised by bright colours painted on cloth to depict historic tales of local leaders, and thanka is a style of painting with vivid colours with a Buddhist theme painstakingly created on silk or cotton. These paintings are dominated by forms of the dragon.
The rich traditions of Indian art declined during British rule, a period in which Indian artists adapted modern Western techniques to produce works that would appeal to Europeans. Nobel literature laureate Rabindranath Tagore, who was also a visual artist, introduced Asian and avant-garde Western styles into Indian art. The Progressive Artists Group (PAG), founded in 1947 by a group of six artists, among them Maqbool Fida Husain, further changed the direction of Indian art. It was with the vital contribution made by the PAG that modern Indian art developed a new form and image.
Painting With Henna
Painting with henna paste, made from the henna plant (botanical name Lawsonia inermis), is an ancient Indian practice used during festivals, dance performances and special occasions such as marriages to decorate the hands and feet. The leaves of the plant are ground into a paste that is applied to the palms, back of the hand and the top of the feet through a conical applicator, usually made of thick paper. The designs are fine and intricate, and geometric shapes and floral motifs from Indian art are most commonly used. The henna is left to dry, then washed or scraped off to leave an orange-red coloured design. The pigmentation stays for several days, reinforced with the application of oil, but fades away eventually. Known to be a coolant, henna is also used for medicinal purposes and as a nourishing hair colouring.