Arts Of India

Originally called ‘Kosa silk’ in Sanskrit, Indian tussar, also known as ‘tropical tussar’ is an exclusive fabric manufactured in the country. Tussar silk exhibits a rich texture and its natural gold colour makes it parallel to a natural treasure. India is the second-largest producer of this fabric with the Bhagalpur district of Bihar standing at the peak having the largest amount of tussar silk being manufactured. The history of ‘Bhagalpuri Silk’ traces back to almost 200 years ago, when the highly skilled craftsmen initiated an innovative way of dyeing the fabric. This unique technique of dyeing is what sets them apart.  Gradually, Jharkhand has also come up with a large number of tussar silk production. It is the Kharsawa district of this state that houses numerous experienced tribal workers who have engaged themselves in passing their craftsmanship down the generations. Other regions that produce tussar silk include the Malda districts of West Bengal, parts of Madhya Pradesh, Ch...

Being the cradle of variety and diversity, India is a land of several indigenous games and toys. They are not only sources of merriment but also the reflections of the art and culture of a particular area of the country. The wide range of such games includes playing with different types of indigenous dolls, blocks, puzzles, board games, and outdoor games like  Kabaddi ,  Kho Kho, Gilli Danda . In this article, we will throw some light on such indigenous games and toys of India in detail.  History of Indian Traditional Games and Toys  Archaeological findings have proved the existence of toys since  Indus Valley   Civilization . Toys like toy carts, dancing women, etc. made of  terra cotta  or metal alloys like Bronze were found. Epics like  Ramayana  and  Mahabharata  also include depictions of games and toys played by the Princes and Royalty which were mostly board games. The  Swadeshi Movement  popularised Indian tra...

Jamini Roy Art is a painting style developed by the famous Indian artist Jamini Roy. Jamini Roy was an Indian painter (11th April 1887-24th April 1972) whose contribution to Indian art is unfathomable. He was a student of Government College of Art, Kolkata under the guidance of famous painter Abanindranath Tagore. 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.  Painting Style and its Development After graduating from the Government College of Art, Jamini Roy used to get regular commissions for portraits drawn by using traditional Western techniques during 1916. But with the surge in nationalism and freedom movement at that time, he consciously rejected the Western-style and delved into Indian traditional and folk artforms to get his inspiration for painting an...