I Tribal art in India render an insight into elementary human nature and lifestyle amongst Indian tribes. With their down to earth existence, the Indian tribals pay due veneration and reverence to Mother Earth and its crucial elements. Indian tribal paintings are always delineated upon positive themes and ideas like birth, life, harvest, journey, jubilation or marriage.

The Indian tribal art includes paintings which are the integral part of the tribal tradition. This is a tribal art form where life and ingenuity are fused never to be separated. The tribal paintings possess an inimitable sensitivity, as tribal folks possess a passionate awareness, massively varying from urbanised population. Their minds are as if svelte and parented with myth, legends, and snips from epic, innumerable Gods born out of dreams and fancy. Tribal painting is a perfect expression of their life and redraws their passion and mystery.

Indian tribal painting is the art of people of different cultural and social groups whose lives are tuned to the rhythms of nature, entwined with the energy of earth and the cyclic change in the environment. Tribal painting is the mirror of the energy of the respective art of various tribal groups. It is a living and changing art form, which changes with time, necessity, environment, memories and experiences of these people. Fairs, festivals, local deities, Gods and Goddesses, legends, nature and animals play a vital role in the tribal painting in India. This traditional Indian tribal painting animates the immortal charm of Indian tribal life.

Indian tribal art goes way beyond time in the history of India. The pre-historic paintings in the cave shelters of Bhimbhetka and Pachmarhi are simple designs illustrating scenes of hunting, farming and dancing against mottled rock. Initially done in black or earth colours, the palette soon expanded to include white, red, yellow, blue and green. From the onset of the 20th century, art slowly began to jump off the walls and on to palm leaves, wood blocks, cloth and ivory. But in India painting became a big thing only during the reign of the Mughals. Traditionally, the kind of paintings one is likely to encounter in India are: Alpana (Bengal), Kolam (South India), Rangoli (Maharashtra), Osa (Orissa), Aripana (Bihar), Sona Rakhna Traditional Rangoli (Uttar Pradesh), Sathiya (Gujarat).

Traditional Indian tribal art tries to wholly recreate the immortal charisma of Indian tribal life. Through solemn efforts, the Indian tribes try to keep alive a culture that is thousands years old, comprising music, traditions, rituals and art. They live in complete harmony with nature by preserving their resources and blending with the environment. Tribal paintings usually belong from the remote tribal regions, in forests or high up in the mountains. Indian tribal paintings bearing illustrious backgrounds include Saura paintings, Gond paintings, Bondi paintings, Pithora paintings, Warli paintings, Thanka, Patta Chitra, Kurumba paintings, Khovar paintings, Pichhvai painting and, miniatures etc.

One can easily come across exquisite pieces of Indian tribal art in different parts of India. for instance, the eastern zone of India, like Orissa, West Bengal, Jharkhand and Bihar have a rich tradition of tribal art and the paintings they create have a deep rooted aesthetic value. The East part of India exhibits tribal arts like Orissa Tribal Paintings, Saura Painting, Santhal Painting, Khovar and Sohrai paintings which have a distinctive role to play in the tribal culture of India. The tribal paintings from Orissa were earlier made as a household decorative item. But nowadays, in the world of commercialised art form, this form of painting is made on raw silk fabric. The themes of this type of art ranges from depicting day-to-day life showcasing tiny human forms painted in black and engaged in the daily chores or their ceremonial activities.

An important part of Indian tribal art of the eastern zone is the Saura painting of Orissa which is done by the `Sauras`, one of the most erstwhile tribes of India. Saura paintings are referred to as `ikon`, consisting sublime portraiture of human being, horse, elephant, sun, moon etc, with symbolic meanings behind each. Sauras elaborately draw on their walls known to bear their religious associations. The accurate definitions of these paintings are obscure but they are generally painted to appease the Gods and ancestors. These paintings are noted for their elegance, charm, iconography, aesthetic and ritualistic association. These are, in fact, the treasure house of their traditional wisdom, knowledge, and folklore. Precisely, these paintings serve as the literature as well as philosophy for the tribe. The present fame of this tribe not only rests in folklore, but in their traditional paintings that originated out of religious and ceremonial rituals. This form of art is mostly found in Rayagada, Gajapati and Koraput districts of Orissa.

Another Indian tribal art of eastern zone that has remarkable impact on the tribal culture of India is Santhal Painting which is portrayed by Santhal tribes, located in Bihar, Orissa and West Bengal. It is painted freehand and reflects their perception of life. Santhal form of Indian tribal painting possess the simplest themes like harvest, field, happy family, dance, beating wife, quarrel, wine party, gods and goddess on the canvas. The bodies of the various forms of tribal painting are seldom or perhaps never in one shade, they are always striped, dotted or filled with any other geometrical pattern. They are done on a handmade paper with poster colours. The topics are selected from the natural surroundings or just from the happenings of their day to day lives. The Khovar and Sohrai paintings occupy a significant part in the tribal art of India. Khovar is the mural art form practiced by tribal women artists during the marriage season from January to June. `Kho` in the local tribal dialect means a cave and `var` signifies a bridal couple. The term Khovar is a popular term for the painted rock art caves across India. The Khovar Art of Hazaribag`s upper Damodar Valley is directly evolved from the 30,000-year-old rock art of the plateau overlooking the valley. It is also one of the longest continuous artistic and cultural traditions in the world. The nomadic Birhor tribal people who reside in the forests in leaf tents called kumbas have a living tradition that their forebears painted the cave art. Today the Birhors indulge in sand drawing and wherever wall space is available, they are of the habit to draw in charcoal in an enigmatic Palaeolithic art, depicting wild animals.

All the married women who paint the Khovar and Sohrai art are called Devis or goddess. The Khovar is, strictly speaking the Bridal Room and the decorated nuptial room is a tribal tradition. The decoration is done in this room, in the bride`s house by the bride`s mother. These two forms of Indian tribal painting redraw Indian illustrious lines in painting and artistic lineage. The wall is completely repaired and plastered with mud after which it is given a coat of cow dung and mud mixture after which it is covered with a coat of black earth applied in a circulatory half moon stroke called the basera (Bas-bamboo, era - goddess). After the black has dried (or in some instances when it is still only half dried) the Devi covers it over with a coating of either brilliant white earth (Charak Matti) or subdued cream-coloured mud (Doodhi Matti) or downright plain yellow earth (Pila Matti). Pila means child, matti means earth. Pila matti contains Palaeolithic deposits. The black earth is named for the goddess and is called the Kali matti. Khovar tradition of Hazaribag may justly claim the source of almost every design and pattern known to the male art of Godna that features in Madhubani art so prominently.

The Kurmi Sohrai in the hill forests of Hazaribag plateau could not be more different in their source of inspiration and stylistic expression. In addition these hill Kurmi villagers are close to the rock art sites. They comb their designs of wild animals and birds found in these forests. Tigers and elephants are common motifs in this form of Indian tribal painting along with peafowl and the legendary man-like bird Chibha which runs on legs and stands upright and has hands. The lack of codified rules makes this art colourful, vibrant and evocative, the natural expression of people. This has resulted in some of the most wonderful works of art.

The Indian tribal art had also developed in the western zone of India. The popular tribal art forms of India include Warli Painting and Pichhwai Painting. Among the tribal paintings, Warli painting is a tribal art form of southern Gujarat and northern Maharashtra. Warli paintings can be witnessed on their mud huts. The surface of their walls is coated with a paste of cow-dung and then a coating of gheroo (red mud commonly found in the region) is applied. Once this dries, the process of painting begins. The Warlis use wooden sticks as brushes for their paintings. This form of Indian tribal painting possesses different human art forms like hunting, dancing or land cultivating, geometrical patterns of trees, creepers, birds and animals. Renowned as Warli painting is, this form of tribal art utilises a single colour, white, on handmade fabric. Men, women, animals, birds, trees and the whole world are fused together in a harmonious and eternal celebration called `Life`. Basic geometric forms and primeval designs, dots and patches are used to convey the profoundest philosophy in the simplest form.

The Indian tribal art provides the Warli painting a distinct position where figures in their bare minimum details are scattered around the Warli canvas in a loose rhythmical pattern. The image centres on a tribal drummer whose enchanting drumbeats move the whole of human and natural world. Both men and women are seen dancing, singing and drinking life to the lees. Mothers carrying crying babies, fathers dragging families, artisans at their daily work, women peddling their humble goods, snippets of such ordinary details of rural India are included in this form of Indian tribal painting. Merged intrinsically with the social scenario is the natural world of birds and trees and animals. Together they make the tribal world complete. Simple geometric shapes in monochrome portray the entire gamut of this tribal Indian society. Another Indian tribal art form of western zone is the Pichhwai painting which delineates Lord Krishna, in various costumes and moods. It is painted with dark and rich colours on the cloth and hung mostly in the temples. Pichhwai are large paintings on cloth portraying Sri Nathji, a powerful icon of Krishna clad in his various costumes and his various moods. Nathdwara in Rajasthan is famous for this art form. These are hung mostly in the temples. They get changed according to the season. The Pichhwai paintings are made on dark, rich hues, on rough hand-spun cloth.

The Indian tribal art incorporates the artistic exuberance of the tribal people of Central India where Pithora Painting, Mandana wall and floor painting, Gond and Bondi Paintings that are the grand superiority of the states like Madhya Pradesh and some parts of Gujarat. Pithora is the name of the wedding patron God in Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat. It is thus regarded as auspicious to paint the house walls with images of the deity during family functions like weddings. Pithora is the name of the wedding deity amongst the Rathwa Bhils of Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat. There it is a common practice to install deities at all auspicious times in the family like weddings etc., at the home in the form of a ritual wall-painting. Hence the name, Pithora, as this is the subject of all paintings of this style of art. This form of Indian tribal painting is made inside a sacred enclosure. Outside the enclosure other similar paintings depicting incidents from daily life are made and usually feature horses.

Indian tribal art form had also flourished in the Bastar district in Madhya Pradesh. The structures of Bastar range from simple unadorned tribal shrines to ornately decorated village temples. The former is distinguished by the surrounding offerings of terracotta lamps, horses, bulls, snakes and elephants. The latter are structural temples with both Dravida and Nagara vimanas. The brass figurines made by the tribals of Bastar have earned fame in Indian tribal painting scenario for their intricate craftsmanship. The brass figurines represent the best of Bastar`s art heritage: each piece is unique and crafted with elaborate detail. The subjects range from people to animals and birds, although it is in the depiction of the latter that the craftsmen have excelled themselves. Moreover, the Malwa, Nimar and Tanwarghar regions of Madhya Pradesh are known for their Mandana wall and floor painting traditions.

In addition to these Indian tribal arts, Gond or Bondi Paintings of Central India has a different impact and is considered as the famous tribal art form of Madhya Pradesh.

These paintings are not just decorations, but also spontaneous overflowings of religious devotion, intrinsically associated with socio-cultural ambiance. Mud plaster base is utilised in this form of Indian tribal painting, over which linear patterns are incised with the fingers. Myths related to creation are also the subject matters for Gond or Bondi paintings. Painted freehand, these two-dimensional paintings replicate their perception of life. The harvest field, a happy family, almost everything finds an expression on Gond or Bondi canvas of handmade paper or handloom fabric. Each painting is accompanied by text narrated by the artists describing a legend, myth or folktale associated with each. They have an unusual style that reflects their creativity and unique mode of viewing things around them.

The Indian tribal art is not only rich in expression but also a living form very much with the times. The tribal art forms have become an intrinsic part of the country`s cultural identity and lately the industrial part of the country. Due to the fact that, these arts can be elevated by providing proper facilities, the government of India, as well as other societies and associations, have made all efforts to promote such art forms. These highly developed senses of composition, with gestures to highlight a sense of mood and works of beautifully stylised imageries, bring their legends to a level of realism. The Indian tribal art is the influence of the contemporary art and its narrative approach is deeply indebted to the contribution of the history of tribal art that cannot be obliterated.