Indian painting has a very long tradition and history in Indian art. The earliest Indian paintings were the rock paintings of prehistoric times, such as the petroglyphs found in places like the Bhimbetka rock shelters. Some of the Stone Age rock paintings found among the Bhimbetka rock shelters are approximately 10,000 years old. Because of the climatic conditions in the Indian subcontinent, very few early examples survive today.
Performance of Patua Sangeet by a Patua, with a pattachitra scroll to illustrate, Kolkata
A mural painting depicting a scene from Mahajanaka Jataka, Cave 1, Ajanta
An Ajanta mural of a royal court
Jahangir Receives Prince Khurram at Ajmer on His Return from the Mewar Campaign, Balchand, c. 1635
Indian art consists of a variety of art forms, including painting, sculpture, pottery, and textile arts such as woven silk. Geographically, it spans the entire Indian subcontinent, including what is now India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bhutan, and at times eastern Afghanistan. A strong sense of design is characteristic of Indian art and can be observed in its modern and traditional forms.
Sarnath Lion Capital of Ashoka, circa 250 BCE. Sarnath Museum, near Varanasi, India
Rock painting at one of the Bhimbetka rock shelters.
Prehistoric petroglyphs in the Edakkal Caves, Wayanad
The Dancing Girl of Mohenjo-daro"
