5 Indian villages where traditional crafts still thrive

Across India, traditional crafts persist beyond museums, with artisans in villages keeping these techniques alive through their homes and small workshops. These villages showcase India's artistic traditions and the communities striving to preserve them.

In Odisha's Raghurajpur, Pattachitra painting and palm-leaf art are prominent. Artisans create Pattachitra, a traditional cloth painting depicting Hindu mythology, and also practice palm-leaf engraving, papier-mâché, wood carving, and mask making.

Pipili, another Odisha village, is famous for its colourful appliqué work, or Chandua. This technique involves stitching coloured fabric pieces to form decorative patterns, often used to adorn Lord Jagannath's chariots during the annual Rath Yatra. The craft also yields wall hangings, umbrellas, lanterns, bags, and other household items.

Nirona in Gujarat's Kutch region, where Rogan art, copper bell making, and lacquer work converge. Rogan painting, a textile art using castor oil pigments, is practiced here, alongside bell making and lacquered wooden objects.

Hodka, also in Kutch, Gujarat, showcases embroidery and leathercraft. Artisans continue using traditional techniques, and visitors can experience the unique bhunga — circular mud houses decorated with local artwork and mirror work.

Lastly, Channapatna in Karnataka, dubbed "Toy Town," is renowned for its lacquered wooden toys and decorative objects. Artisans have been crafting these items using locally grown wood and traditional vegetable-based colours for over two centuries. The craft holds a Geographical Indication (GI) tag, ensuring its continued practice with a modern twist, producing both traditional toys and contemporary home décor.