India is endowed with a rich cultural legacy of art and architecture. The numerous beautiful temples and other monuments bear testimony to the rich Indian cultural heritage of art and architecture. The Ajanta and Ellora caves in Maharashtra, the Khajuraho temples in Madhya Pradesh, Konark Temple in Puri, Shore Temple at Mahabalipuram in Tamil Nadu and the Taj Mahal in Agra are some of the beautiful monuments that reflect the rich architectural heritage of India. Indian Handicraft is another of form of art that has made a mark among tourists in India. Heritage tour of India is one of the best ways to discover the Indian arts and crafts.
Indian art and craft has a number of different aspects to it. These aspects of Indian art and craft vary from region to region. And every region has a unique art form attached to it. The art and crafts of India includes painting, sculptures and handicrafts. Painting as an art form was quite popular during ancient times and the Ajanta Ellora caves and Khajuraho temples are classic examples of this form in ancient times. Indian paintings can be divided into two main categories as the murals and miniatures. Murals are referred to large works of art on the walls and solid structures while miniature paintings are the works of art executed on a small scale like on the paper or cloth. Rajasthani and Mughal paintings are the two examples of miniature paintings.
Some of the popular painting forms include the Tanjore Painting of Tamil Nadu, Madhubani Painting of Bihar, Kalamkari Painting of Andhra Pradesh and Pithoro Painting of Gujarat.
Another hallmark of Indian art and craft is the sculptures that adorn many temple walls. The sculptures in various places in India reflect the talent and creativity of Indian artisans. The rock cut art of sculpting was believed to be perfected by the Buddhists and followed by Hindu rulers. The sculptures that we see in many temples and other historic places are made of granite and terracotta.
Handicraft is another feature of the rich Indian art. There are a number of handicraft items that one can shop when on a tour to India. Some of the handicrafts items that are popular in India are carpets, marble table tops, hand made leather items and hand block printed items, blue pottery, semi-precious stones and Kundan jewellery.
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