Tribal art 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 art is the mirror of the energy of the respective art of various tribal groups. Folk and Tribal art 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 of the tribal art in India.

Tribal art is an art where life and creativity are inseparable. Tribal art is very different from other art forms, as the mindset of people from a tribal community possesses awareness towards myths, legends, Gods, dreams, fantasies, and nature- very different from the urbanized population. Their art is an expression of their lives and it holds a certain kind of passion, mystery and expression, missing in urban art forms.

Tribal art goes way beyond time in the history of India. The Pre-historic paintings in the cave shelters of Bhimbetka and Pachmarhi are simple designs showing scenes of hunting, farming and dancing against mottled rock. Initially done in black or earth colors, 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 art became a big thing only during the reign of the Mughals.

Traditionally, the kind of paintings one is likely to encounter in India is Alpana (Bengal), Kolam (South India), Rangoli (Maharashtra), Osa (Orissa), Aripana (Bihar), Sona Rakhna (Uttar Pradesh), Sathiya (Gujarat). Coming from traditional tribal art forms these are names for auspicious multi-colored floor decorations made by Hindus all over the country. Today, tribal art has become the precious livelihood of the artists living in far-flung nooks of India. The following are some names of the enticing collection of traditional and tribal art forms:

Nowadays, these paintings are made on paper. Even today the themes are normally the Hindu Gods and Goddesses and stories from Hindu mythology. Initially all vegetable dyes were used for the paintings but today with the changes over time and because of the easy availability many artists now use acrylic colors as well.

Orissa Tribal Painting:
The tribal paintings from Orissa were earlier made as a household decoration item. But nowadays, in the world of commercialized 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 showing tiny human forms painted in black, and engaged in the daily chores or their ceremonial activities.

Pithora Paintings:
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 a deity at all auspicious times in the family like weddings etc., within 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. These paintings are made inside a sacred enclosure. Outside the enclosure other similar paintings depicting incidents from daily life are made and these usually feature horses.

Pichhwai Paintings:
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.

Thangkas:
Produced for religious rituals, the Thangka cloth paintings are displayed at certain festivals in the extreme northern region of the country, in Ladakh, where Tibetan Buddhism flourishes, and in parts of Himachal Pradesh, where Tibetan refugees have settled. Thangkas often depict the Buddha and the Wheel of Life. Thangka paintings are generally hung in monastic shrines or in domestic altars. They are used during prayer as a means of offering homage. Large Thankas are unrolled on ceremonial occasions and also hung outside the walls of monasteries. To the Tibetans, the Thangkas, rich in iconographic imagery, are sacred objects of devotion and religious practice. The medium used is a paper that incorporates linen fiber for strength and durability. This is stretched over a frame and made smooth by sizing with chalk and glue. When dry it is made smoother yet by burnishing with seashell. Traditionally Tibetan paintings are mounted on elaborate silk brocades. A plain piece of silk hangs in front as a dust protector and can be flipped behind when the painting is being viewed. This technique of mounting was suited to the life style of the nomadic Tibetans. The Mandala is a variable of the Thangka, which is used specifically for meditation. The word Mandala literally means `Essence Container`. It deals with the first two forms of Tantric Yoga, Action (Kriya) and Performance.

The Warli Tribals:
These are typically the tribal art form from the region of southern Gujarat and northern Maharashtra. The Warli tribal people reside at the foothills of the Sahyadris in Thane, Maharashtra. Their paintings can be found on the walls of their simple mud huts. The surface of their walls is coated with a paste of cowdung 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.

These paintings show multitudes of tiny human forms hunting, dancing or cultivating the land. They rely more on line than color. The forms of the subjects of these paintings are reduced to two triangles and in color. There is a great angularity in the faces of both men and women. The head is a small circle and a woman is distinguished from a man by a small circle drawn next to the bigger one. With just this basic form, the Warli painter is able to convey every activity of life from hunting to harvesting to putting a baby to sleep. Geometrical patterns, trees, creepers, birds and animals are some of the common motifs used. Footprints and handprints are stylized into decorative patterns. This is done by placing the palm (or the foot) on the wall and spraying a white paste made up of rice flour all around the hand. The hand is then removed thereby leaving its impression. They are usually drawn on white rice paste to prepare for specific festivals or family events. Not only do the Warlis decorate their walls but also every item ranging from a cooking pot to a plough is painted.

There is a strong belief among the Warlis in the occult and the cult of Mother Goddess common in many tribal religious faiths. The Warli people worship the Earth Goddess, the God Hira and the Tiger God. Warli paintings are deeply rooted in tradition and every occasion, whether a marriage or a funeral, is related to symbols bearing magical significance.

Recent Warli paintings show a stylization of motor vehicles, trains etc. the commercialization of urban life seems to have touched these tribal people.

Khovar and Sohrai
Khovar is the mural art form practiced by the 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 live 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 they find wall space available they draw in charcoal in an enigmatic Paleolithic 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.

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-colored mud (Doodhi Matti) or downright plain yellow earth (Pila Matti). Pila means child, matti means earth. Pila matti contains Paleolithic 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 cut their designs of wild animals and birds found in these forests and tigers and elephants are common motifs along with peafowl and the legendary man like bird Chibha which runs on legs and stands upright and has hands. Folk and Tribal art is the art of people who are exposed to changing landscapes as they travel over the valleys and highlands of India. They carry with them the experiences and memories of different spaces and their art consists of the transient, changing pattern of life. The rural, tribal and the arts of the nomads constitute the matrix of folk and tribal art expression.

The lack of codified rules makes this art colorful, vibrant and evocative, the natural expression of people. This has resulted in some of the most wonderful works of art. Bastar district in Madhya Pradesh is one such region. In recent years, although the rich craft heritage of the Bastar tribes has found its way to many markets and homes, thanks to the efforts of government and non-government agencies, very little is known about them. The layman cannot identify many of the beautiful dhokra castings or stone figures of this region. 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 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.

Folk paintings of Madhya Pradesh, especially the wall paintings of Bundelkhand, Chhattisgarh, Gondwana, Nimar and Malwa are living expressions of people, intrinsically linked with the socio-cultural ambiance of the area. In the Gondwana region, the Gond and the Pardhan tribes who have impressed audiences at exhibitions in Japan, France, Australia and other countries have showed unmatched creative vision. The Malwa, Nimar and Tanwarghar regions of Madhya Pradesh are known for their Mandana wall and floor painting traditions. Red clay and cow dung mixture is used as base material to plaster the surface against which white drawings stand out in contrast. Peacocks, cats, lions, goojari, bawari, swastik and chowk are some motifs of this style.