India is a land abounding with art and culture. This country is famed for its various types of folk art and crafts. The painting shown here is one of Orissa’s famous Paatachitra paintings, done on Tassar silk cloth.

 This Paatachitra shows several elephants, each one decorated beautifully. Indian elephants have been an integral part of Indian culture. Many Indian states decorate these amazing creatures and include them for auspicious temple occasions, festivals and the like.

 The elephant is decorated from the head to eye level with colorful jewelry. Some elephants who are part of a temple carry a decorated effigy of the Lord on their backs and are taken around on a long procession around the streets of that particular area.

 The importance of these creatures is highlighted in this painting, where the whole piece is adorned with colorful motifs of decorated elephants.