5 art villages of india where art has been passed down from generations and is a way of life

Art is timeless; it has been a part of centuries of generations, even when it was not properly consecrated as a form. People painted their homes in beautiful colours, designs, and details to enhance and decorate their abode. Ever since then, it has flown down as the heartbeat of the daily lives of the people of some villages in India as its heritage.

Today, these villages are not just tourist attractions designed for cameras; they’re living communities where generations have passed down skills, traditions, and creative practices as part of their identity. Be it the coral-stone studios of Cholamandal on the Coromandel Coast, or the Pattachitra scroll painters of Odisha.

What makes these places special is their authenticity. Art here isn’t separated from life into galleries or museums. It’s in the soil, the walls, the fabrics, and the rituals.



Here are five heritage art villages across India where art is a way of life and where every corner tells a story:Photo: @abhiyogi / X

Cholamandal Artists’ Village was established in 1966 near Chennai, founded by K.C.S. Paniker as a refuge where artists could live and work together and earn their livelihood, sustaining themselves through their art. Named after the Chola dynasty, which has been an epitome of art patronage and a magnum opus of contemporary art.

It emerged from the Madras Art Movement, seeking South India’s regional sensibility. Set on 10 acres on the Coromandel Coast, it’s India’s largest self-supporting artists’ village and one of Asia’s most successful.
Photo: Sakshi Batavia/ Astagruru blogs

Raghurajpur in Odisha is a nationally recognised heritage crafts village where the entire community practices Pattachitra, a traditional scroll painting style dating back to the time of the Mahabharata, during the Vedic period.

Every house in this village is an artist’s studio, with walls painted with detailed and very fine paintings depicting mythological stories and folk tales. The village is also famous for Gotipua dance, where young boys perform classical Odissi, and for palm-leaf engraving called Tala Chitra. Art is a way of life here, and children as young as 2 years begin learning to do Pattachitra art.



Photo: @Seemajay9/ X

Shilpgram, located about 3 km west of Udaipur, Rajasthan, is a rural arts and crafts village created to depict the cultural heritage of western India. It is a living culture center where dancers, artists, and performers from Rajasthan, Gujarat, Maharashtra, and Goa gather to practice and share their traditions.

The most important feature of the village is its traditional mud-and-thatch huts representing architecture from different states, and each of them is like a workshop where artisans demonstrate pottery, weaving, pottery, and folk art.Photo: @bas_kar_oyee/ X

Saputara, Gujarat’s only hill station, located in the Sahyadri hills, is home to a vibrant tribal art community where the Warli, Gameti, and other tribal groups preserve their ancestral artistic traditions.

The village also has a tribal museum which houses traditional art, tools, and artifacts, while local artisans create Warli paintings using natural materials like rice paste on walls and cloth.
Photo: @IndianEmbassyUS/ X

Nirona is a small village, famously known for its unique Rogan art or castor oil painting and immensely detailed pottery that has been practiced here for over 400 years by the Chhint community. Rogan art involves creating colourful, designs on fabric using a special oil-based technique passed down through generations.

The village’s women also create beautiful fiber art and embroidery, contributing to Kutch’s world-renowned textile tradition. Every home in Nirona is a workshop, and visitors can watch artists create these masterpieces using only their hands and simple tools.
Photo: @U20India/ X