Udaipur, India: Souvenir Shopping Miniature Silk Elephant Paintings

A Reader Shares her Favorite Souvenirs Shopping from Udaipur, India

I love when readers share their favorite souvenirs from their travels, especially when it’s a place I haven’t had a chance to visit yet.

While I still haven’t made it to India, a reader shared some gorgeous souvenirs, mini silk paintings of elephants, while visiting Udaipur, India. My favorite part of these souvenirs is their diminutive size– you have no idea how often I hear “I travel carry on, I have no room for souvenirs.” These tiny painting will quite literally fit in your pocket, so no excuses! (For more tiny souvenirs ideas around the globe, check out this post on teeny tiny souvenirs anyone can bring home).

Think you have no room for souvenirs? This tiny elephant painting from India barely measures 4 by 4 inches.

These tiny souvenir paintings, barely the size of a post card, are a specialty of Udaipur, India. In Udaipur, artisans have been practicing the art of painting on silk for generations. Using natural dyes, artisans create incredibly intricate paintings with teeny tiny brush strokes. They even have special paintbrushes designed for this purpose– made from a single camel eyelash mounted on a paintbrush stem. Imagine the steady hand required to wield a brush that size!

Souvenir of India, teeny tiny silk painting

Our reader found these souvenir silk paintings from a little shop near the City Palace but reports they are easily found around Udaipur. Considering the level of craftsmanship required to create these mini masterpieces, I was shocked to hear they ony cost £4 (GBP) for the pair.

How to display these mini souvenir treasures? Our reader suggests properly mounting and framing them if your budget allows, but postcard sized clip-frames will also work in a pinch.

Do you have a unique souvenir that you think should be featured here? Get in touch!

Have you bought souvenir paintings from India? Share in the comments below!