A village tourism bucket list for art lovers

Table of Content

• Pyatkar paintings: Amadubi, Jharkhand
• Rogan art: Nirona, Gujarat
• Pattachitra: Raghurajpur, Odisha
• Gond art: Patangarh, Madhya Pradesh
• Kishangarh school of art: Kishangarh, Rajasthan

It’s a double whammy for lovers of rustic art with this list of must-visit attractions in the hinterland where you can enjoy gazing at creative masterpieces. Read on to get fresh ideas on where to go over the long weekends of 2025. 

India lives in its villages. That’s also where traditional art and craft continue to survive against the odds. If you wish to see not just the art but also the hands that create it, head to a village over the next long break that comes your way.  

And on that note,  here are some craft villages for you to check out, or have on your travel bucket list this year. 

Pyatkar paintings: Amadubi, Jharkhand

Artists in Pyatkar display their creations at Amdubi in Jharkhand. (Photo credit: Amadubi Panijiya Rural Tourism Centre)

Sixty-five kms from Jamshedpur, on NH 33 towards Kolkata, lies the village of Amadubi. It holds a place of pride in the art map of India for Pyatkar, a unique yet lesser-known art form that combines painting and music. 

These art scrolls are the traditional avatars of the Insta reels we are deeply addicted to these days. Just that these are painted on scrolls of cloth or bark using natural colours. The artist unfurls the scrolls gradually while singing ballads complimenting the artwork.

The destination is ideal if you are looking to get away for a day or two. You can enjoy your staycation at the ethnic huts of Amadubi Panijiya Rural Tourism Centre. Indulge in heritage food, all thanks to the hospitality of the members of the Village Tourism Development Committee.

Rogan art: Nirona, Gujarat

 Nirona is a village where the art of rogan painting is being practised by over eight generations of the Khatri family. (Photo credit: Gujarat Tourism)  

About 40 kms from Bhuj lies Nirona, a village where the art of rogan painting is being practised by over eight generations of the Khatri family. The family of artists is reportedly the only one in the world practising this ancient technique. 

The intricate art form came to India almost 300 years ago with the arrival of the Khatris from Iran.

The medium for Rogan art is created by heating castor oil for hours together and then treating it to transform it into a thick, sticky paste. 

Stone pigments are then added to it to obtain different coloured pastes. A stick is then used to deftly string the paste into various intricate designs on the canvas.

Pattachitra: Raghurajpur, Odisha

Raghurajpur in Odisha is popular for its pattachitra paintings. (Photo credit: Wikimedia Commons)

The Heritage Crafts Village of Raghurajpur, a short drive from the temple town of Puri, is no longer a hidden gem. But if you haven’t stepped foot here yet, wait no more. 

Developed by INTACH in 1998, the village of 2000-odd people is essentially a community of Pattachitra artists who also double up as farmers for the sake of sustenance. 

The ancient style of painting is believed to have originated around the fifth century BC. Today, the artists in Raghurajpur are using the form on an array of mediums – tussar silk, palm leaves, paper mache – depicting myths and legends. 

The humble soil of Raghurajpur is also the birthplace of Odissi exponent Padma Vibhushan Kelucharan Mahapatra and Gotipua dancer Padma Shri Maguni Charan Das.

A few km away is the Pipli village, famous for its applique work creations, another destination that you should not miss.   

Gond art: Patangarh, Madhya Pradesh

Patangarh village in Madhya Pradesh is known for its Gond artists. (Photo credit: Wikimedia Commons)

Another centuries old art form, unique for its style and narratives, is Gond. If you want to see it flourishing in all its artistic fervour, head to Patangarh village in Madhya Pradesh. Gonds are incidentally India’s largest tribal community.  

The tribal art form, inspired by nature, manifests through intricate patterns and colours on canvas. The outlines of the theme are first marked on the canvas with black ink and then brought alive through patterns of curved lines and dots. 

Each creation is a masterpiece and a labour of intense love. 

Kishangarh school of art: Kishangarh, Rajasthan 

Rajasthan’s Kishangarh, a short drive away from Delhi, is a good place to observe the making of miniature Rajputana paintings. (Photo credit: Wikimedia Commons)

This 18th-century school of Rajasthani style of Indian paintings is world-famous. The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York has an extensive collection on display. 

Luckily, we can just drive down from Delhi to Kishangarh to be mesmerised by one of the finest schools of miniature Rajputana paintings. The paintings are unique for their depiction of beauty – nose sharp as a parrot’s beak, eyebrows like arched bows, almond-shaped eyes and so on. 

Bani Thani, a style of painting nurtured by the school, is a classic example of these facial features. It is also known as India’s Mona Lisa. 

Legends from the life of lord Krishna, Mahabharata, and Ramayana are some of the integral themes explored by the Kishangarh school of painting.  

While here, also visit the Phool Mahal palace and the scenic Dumping Yard. The latter is an oxymoron, yes. Marble slurry dumped over decades has transformed this yard into, what seems like, a Switzerland-esque valley of snow. 

The lead image at the top shows a Pattachitra artist in Raghurajpur village in Odisha with one of his artworks (Photo credit: Wikimedia Commons) 

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