When we think about Kashmiri art & craft the first thing that comes to our mind is Kashmiri shawls, rugs, carpets, and much more. But do you know or heard about paper mache crafts? Paper Mache is indeed an alluring art that you will simply love to have as a piece of decor.

The particular form of the craft was introduced to India in the 14th century by the Persian mystic Mir Syed Ali Hamdani. While visiting the Indian state of Kashmir he brought along skilled artisans and craftsmen. With the passage of time, it is hard to believe Kashmiri arts and crafts without including the name of Paper Mache.

There are two crucial parts of Kashmiri paper mache- i. Sakhtsazi and ii. Naqashi. The first step, Sakhtsazi, includes developing the foundation of the paper mache figurine or the basic object with the paper pulp, while Naqashi includes the final step of painting and decoration. It is no doubt a wonderful art form that can tantalize all your senses and you can fall in love with the art form.

When it comes to weaves and textiles Indian weaves deserve special mention due to its vibrant forms of textiles and weaves. One such vibrant piece of textile is witnessed in the form of Baluchari or popularly termed as Baluchari saree. The Baluchari saree marks its origin to 500 years ago and in west Bengal. The concept initiated from a small village of Baluchar near the Murshidabad district. Later, it moved to Bishnupur and the industry flourished tremendously under the British Rule.

Baluchari sarees are generally defined by stunning borders along with pallav. Every single piece of Baluchari saree depicts tales and scenes from ancient epics and religious texts. The grandeur of Baluchari sarees makes them the perfect attire for wearing at festivals, weddings as well as grand functions.

The word ‘Rogan’ refers to oil based in Persian. The art form of Rogan is a 400-year-old unique and rare art form practised only by the Khatri family from Kutch region of Gujarat. It is the technique or method of painting on fabric, crafted from thick brightly coloured paint made with castor seed oil.

This is a very rare form of art practised in Gujarat. But of its rare qualities and traits and also for the level of difficulty for practising the same, till recently it was practiced and developed by only one family in India and they reside in Nirona village in Gujarat.

The antique-looking handcrafted objects of Dhokra with their golden finish are amongst the popular crafts available in India in the present-day context. Till its inception, Dokhra art has captured a splendid place in the Indian form of art and craft.

The rustic look of Dhokra makes them extremely alluring as well as appealing. The technique of making Dhokra craft utilizes the traditional form of the lost wax process of metal casting, which finds its roots 4000 years back.

The same technique has been found in objects from the Harappan age as well. The name Dhokra is termed after the tribe of Dhokra Damar, who is settled in the central part of India. The Bastar region of Chhattisgarh is the most crucial center of Dhokra Craft. The Eastern part of India is famous for Dokhra art.

Pichwai paintings or pichwai art is also known as "Pichvai". It is a traditional Indian form of art having its inception in the sand clad land of Rajasthan, India. Pichwai art depicts or shows entangled process of painting portraying Lord Krishna as Sreenath ji which is done on fabric using dark and rich colors.

The paintings have and show deep religious connections and are executed with the utmost devotion by the artists. Most works practicing this style or form of art revolves around the figure of Shrinathji as a manifestation of Lord Krishna and refer to the incident of him holding the Govardhan hill on his last finger. Subjects of Pichwai paintings mostly revolve around Lord Krishna's various moods or various sevas or offering of Srinathji.

Gond art is a type or form of painting coming from folk and tribal art that is practiced by one of the largest tribal community in India noted as the Gond . The Gond tribe predominantly come from Madhya Pradesh but also can be traced in several areas of Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Chhatisgarh, along with Odisha. The art of Gond artists extensively narrates or depicts their folklores and culture, and thus story-telling is a strong aspect of this particular form of art.

The Gond, are the largest Adivasi or tribal communities in India. They are originally Dravidian and their origin can be traced to the pre-Aryan era. They usually refer to themselves as Koi or Koiture. As per the Gond belief system, every creature in the universe is inhabited by a spirit and, consequently, is sacred. Gond paintings are a reflection of man’s close connection with his environmental and natural surroundings.