New to India, or to Indian art? These guides help you understand what you are looking at, plan a trip around art and crafts, and buy and look after pieces wherever you live.
About these guides. They are compiled from published sources, including museums, government bodies and books on Indian art. They may not be based on first-hand travel or buying experience. How we research our guides.
Understand what you see
Start hereA ten-minute introduction: the five families of Indian art, a timeline and what each region is known for.Reading Indian artSymbols, hand gestures and how artists identify each figure.Questions visitors askGI tags, handmade or machine-made, bargaining, taking antiques home and more.The story behind the craftsCraft families, patrons, world trade and crafts today.
Plan a visit
Craft and heritage trailsSix suggested routes, from Rajasthan and Kutch to Odisha and Tamil Nadu.Festival art calendarMonth by month: the festivals and fairs, and the art made for them.Indian art in museums around the worldWhere to see great Indian art in London, New York, Paris, Singapore and beyond.Where to see it in IndiaMuseums and craft villages, craft by craft.