India is the land of arts and crafts. Almost every region has its own traditional form of art that includes drawings, paintings, embroideries, carvings, saris and more. We're really blessed to be born in a country with so much diversity in this space. Sadly, however, some of these art forms are on the verge of extinction. Let's take a look at 9 of the most beautiful of them which need to be saved right away!

1. Manjusha paintings

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Manjusha is believed to be the only art form in India that is displayed in series, each representing a story within it. This art form originated in Anga Pradesh (modern day Bihar). Back then, they made products only to be used in Bishahari festival, a festival dedicated to the snake god that took place in the district Bhagalpur. This art flourished heartily during the British rule in India. However, it started fading away in the middle of the 20th century. Fortunately, the Bihar government is making an effort to revive this craft and patent it as Bhagalpur folk art.

2. Traditional art of puppetry

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Some scholars suggest that puppetry has existed in India for over 3000 years. The surprising thing is that there are so many forms of puppetry that we aren’t even aware about. There's shadow puppetry from Kerala. Then there’s Kathaputli from Rajasthan and Kundhei from Orissa. But all of these won’t exist a few years from now. There are very few artists left that know the art. Some NGOs have tried to bring puppetry to urban cities, yet this art form is nearing its end.

3. Parsi embroidery

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Parsi embroidery has been a part of India’s diverse textile heritage. During the bronze age, this art form took birth in Iran and with time it drew influences from European, Chinese, Persian and Indian culture. The saris that depict Parsi embroidery are known as Parsi Gara Saris and take about 9 months to complete. But now, you’ll find very few of these in the market. The reason is the declining Parsi community and mass production of clothes that are readily available.

4. Toda embroidery

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The Toda tribe resides in the Nilgiri Hills. The entire tribe consists of only 2000 people and they’re struggling to protect their culture and craft. The embroidery is basically done on cloth with square-shaped deceptions that are one of a kind. You’ll find this embroidery done on everything from wallets, cell phone pouches, bed sheets, stoles etc and each design is unique in its own way.

5. Naga handicraft

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The Nagas are famous for their deep-rooted culture and it strongly comes out in the form of art and craft. The tribe is famous for creating interesting handicraft items made from wood, cane and other readily available raw material from the forest. Based out of Nagaland, this tribe makes really gorgeous crafts like baskets, bowls, decors, carved benches, shawls scarves and bags. Fortunately, the tribe still takes part in expos to promote its craft, but we know that these products won’t be available for far too long.

6. Roghan painting

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The Roghan painting is done only by 6 surviving people in India right now. The Khatri family living in the Kutch area of Rajasthan have been the practitioners of the art for seven generations, but they fear that this will be the last surviving generation for the Roghan painting as the future generation isn’t patient or hardworking enough to take it up. This extraordinary form of art is executed on fabric with castor oil, paints and a 6-inch thin metal rod. The paintings are expensive and are generally purchased by foreigners.

7. Dhokhra handicraft

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The Bastar region, a district in Chhattisgar, is home to tribes who specialise in Dhokra handicraft. It’s wax casting technique has been in India for more than 4,000 years. One of the earliest known dhokra artifacts is the dancing girl of Mohenjo-daro. These products are in great demand in domestic and foreign markets because of primitive simplicity, enchanting folk motifs and forceful form. But, again, very few tribes are practicing the art and no one has been able to come up with a technology to save the 250-year-old legacy.

8. Patola saris

Patola saris, that involve part ikat work, are the most expensive saris in the world. Each classic Patola sari can survive for about 300 years and retain the colour. The saris take four to six months to make, with more than 70 days for the colouring of the silk threads, and about 25 days for the weaving. The costliest sari is priced at a whopping Rs 7 lakh. At least 12 people work for over two years to make it using materials required for 27 normal Patola saris. This extremely complex and time-consuming dyeing art is currently pursued by only four families in Gujarat. Some of the families are trying to keep the tradition alive, but are unsure of its eventual fate.

9. Mithila painting

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The Mithila painting is one of the living creative activities of the women of Bihar. It is a form of folk painting on paper, cloth, readymade garments, movable objects that is mainly done by the village women of Mithila. Originally it was a folk art, practiced by women of all castes and communities using natural and vegetable colours. Since it’s practised in only one village, and very few women make these paintings, we know that it’s one of the dying traditions of India.

Have we missed anything? Let us know in the comments below!