About Ayurda
A family project. A living tradition.
Founders’ Story
Mukta & Himani
A shared love of art became a way to bring artists and their stories closer to the world.
Mukta grew up in a home where art was not an event but a rhythm. Women painted kolams on the floor at dawn, marriage motifs on the walls at weddings, and folk gods on paper during festivals. When she moved to California, she brought a small collection with her. Wherever she hung a piece, people stopped to ask.
Himani, her daughter, grew up around those same paintings, but also around the reality that most of the artists behind them were struggling. Two years of long conversations with her mother turned into a project. That project became Ayurda.
We began by cold-calling artists we admired. We asked what they needed. Then we built, slowly, one artist at a time, a way for their work, and their stories, to reach the people who would love them.
One artist. One story. One connection at a time.
Why Ayurda exists
Ayurda was founded by a mother and daughter, Mukta and Himani, who grew up surrounded by folk art in India and now, from California, work to bring those living traditions to the world.
Because a tradition without hands is a memory.
India has thousands of folk art traditions. Each was practiced by particular families, in particular villages, for hundreds, sometimes thousands, of years.
Many are fading now, not because there aren’t artists willing to practice them, but because there is no longer enough work to keep them alive.
Ayurda exists to change that, one commission, one workshop, one artist at a time.
"To bring India's living folk art traditions to the world, and to make sure the artists behind them can keep making them."
— Our mission
How we work
Direct relationships
We work directly with each artist, no agents, no middlemen. We know their families, we know their studios, we visit when we can.
Traditional materials
Every commission is made with the materials the tradition calls for: natural pigments, vermilion, conch shell powder, turmeric, gold leaf, hand-stretched cotton, beeswax.
Every rupee back
We are a not-for-profit. The full proceeds of every commission and workshop flow directly to the artist.
Experience the Art. Discover the Tradition.
Step into the world of Indian folk art through hands-on workshops that bring creativity, culture, and storytelling together.
Explore traditional techniques, discover the meaning behind intricate patterns, and experience the joy of creating something with your own hands.
Whether you’re discovering Indian folk art for the first time or reconnecting with your cultural roots, our workshops offer an opportunity to learn, create, and connect.