Maharashtra is the proud home to various different artistic techniques that have flourished under many rulers including the Marathas, the Mughals and the British. The state has a long and varied tradition of art and crafts from the paintings at Ajanta dating back to many hundreds of years to today's Warli paintings. Another known craft of the state is the Worli folk paintings. The legendary beauty of the Paithani silk saris, the intricate silver inlay craft of Bidriware, which reached its culmination under the Mughals, and the beautifully woven silk Himroo and Mashru shawls, the craft of Lacquerware in Sawantwadi continue to cast their spell on visitors. Kolhapur is famous for jewellery designed in traditional patterns of the Marathas and the Peshwas. The city is also known for its hand-made leather sandals or chappals, which are popular throughout the world for their simple styles, quality of leather and design

Bidri Ware

Bidri ware, one of Aurangabad's ancient crafts is an art of inlaying silver on black metal. It is believed that this ancient and eye-catching craft entered India more than 4,000 years ago from the culture-rich Persians, Syrians and Iranians. This metal craft derives its name from Bidar in Karnataka, the hometown of this exquisite craft.

Bidri craftsmen were patronised in the Mughal courts and settled down to practice their craft in the fortress town of Bidar in Karnataka, giving the craft it's name. It originated with the ornamentation of royal swords and other weapons, and was later applied to domestic use in items like cigars and cigarette boxes.

Typical Bidri items include plates, bowls, vases, ashtrays, trinket boxes, "Hukka" bases, jewellery etc. Glass and studded bangles of Bidri are a favourite with women.

Kolhapuri Jewellery

The Jewellery from Kolhapur is beautifully crafted with delicate embossing and workmanship. People from Kolhapur have not gone too far from the traditional jewellery patterns of the Marathas and Peshwas. The 'Kolhapuri Saaj", a special type of necklace is very popular with Maharashtrian Women. The 'Saaj' is designed all over Maharashtra but the Kolhapuri Saaj is famous.

Kolhapuri Chappals (Slippers)

Kolhapur is well known for its textiles and cottons, but it is of course most famous for its hand-made leather slippers or chappals. Kolhapuri chappals are popular throughout the world for their simple styles, quality of leather and design. The cost depends on the quality of leather and design, but in general we can say that Kolhapuri chappals are reasonable and are a good value for money.

They come in different sizes and shapes that ideally complement ethnic designer wear. This footwear of cured, dried, tanned and treated coloured leather has been favoured for decades by the 'arty'. There are small villages around Kolhapur City, where shoemakers build hand made Kolhapuri chappal, sandals and shoes, even ladies purses and valets. In Kolhapur one will find large number of traditional leather artisans. They had acquired the skill and workmanship of Kolhapuri chappals, which were and even now, are very popular in both rural and urban areas.

Mashru and Himroo Fabrics

Aurangabad is famous for Mashru and Himroo fabrics made of cotton and silk with the luster of satin. Himroo is an age-old weaving craft, and was originally known as "Kum khuab". Himroo in its original form is made of silver and gold. The threads of silver and gold were so fine that the final cloth appeared as "GOLD CLOTH".

Warli Tribal Painting
Tribal art, Warli is the vivid expression of daily and social events of the Warli tribe of Maharashtra. A form of wall painting is the typical human figures, which are the main striking features of this painting.

A Tribal Influence -- Warli folk paintings
Maharashtra is known for its Warli folk paintings. Warli is the name of the largest tribe found on the northern outskirts of Mumbai, in Western India. Despite being in such close proximity of the largest metropolis in India, Warli tribesmen shun all influences of modern urbanization. Warli Art was first discovered in the early seventies. While there are no records of the exact origins of this art, its roots may be traced to as early as the 10th century A.D. This art form is simple in comparison to the vibrant paintings from Madhubani.

These tribal paintings of Maharashtra are traditionally done in the homes of the Warlis. Painted white on mud walls, they are pretty close to pre-historic cave paintings in execution and usually depict hunting, dancing, sowing and harvesting scenes. The only colour used in creating Warli paintings is white, with occasional dots in red and yellow. This colour is obtained from grounding rice into white powder.

Women are mainly engaged in the creation of these paintings. These paintings do not depict mythological characters or images of deities, but depict social life. Images of human beings and animals, along with scenes from daily life are created in a loose rhythmic pattern.

These themes are highly repetitive and symbolic. Many of the Warli paintings that represent Palghat, the marriage god, often include a horse used by the bride and groom. The horse is symbolic of something that this poor community can ill-afford. The painting is sacred and without it, the marriage cannot take place. These paintings also serve social and religious aspirations of the local people. It is believed that these paintings invoke powers of the Gods.

In Warli paintings it is rare to see a straight line. A series of dots and dashes make one line. The artists have recently started to draw straight lines in their paintings. These days, even young men have taken to painting and they are often done on paper incorporating traditional decorative Warli motifs with modern elements such as the bicycle, etc. Warli paintings on paper have become very popular and are now sold all over India. Today they are provided into a marketable commodity when the Indian Handicrafts and Handlooms Board provided the poor Warlis with brown paper and white paint.