Enjoy fast, free delivery, exclusive deals, and award-winning movies & TV shows with Prime
Try Prime and start saving today with fast, free delivery

Kindle
$16.99

Available instantly

Hardcover
$17.99

$17.99 with 40 percent savings

List Price: $30.00

Get Fast, Free Shipping with Amazon Prime FREE Returns

FREE delivery Wednesday, May 15 on orders shipped by Amazon over $35. Order within 23 hrs 30 mins

Select delivery location

In Stock

$$17.99 () Includes selected options. Includes initial monthly payment and selected options. Details

Ships from

Amazon.com

Ships from

Amazon.com

Sold by

Amazon.com

Sold by

Amazon.com

Returns

Eligible for Return, Refund or Replacement within 30 days of receipt

Returns

Eligible for Return, Refund or Replacement within 30 days of receipt

This item can be returned in its original condition for a full refund or replacement within 30 days of receipt.

Read full return policy

Payment

Secure transaction

Payment

Secure transaction

We work hard to protect your security and privacy. Our payment security system encrypts your information during transmission. We don’t share your credit card details with third-party sellers, and we don’t sell your information to others. Learn more

Details

Add a gift receipt for easy returns

Other sellers on Amazon

New & Used (46) from $17.99 FREE Shipping on orders over $35.00 shipped by Amazon.

Follow the author

Christine Chitnis

+ Follow

More books from this author

Patterns of IndiaMerchant Video

Image Unavailable

Image not available for
Color:

To view this video download Flash Player

3 VIDEOS

Patterns of India: A Journey Through Colors, Textiles, and the Vibrancy of Rajasthan Hardcover – March 3, 2020

by Christine Chitnis (Author)

4.8 829 ratings

See all formats and editions

Great on Kindle

Great Experience. Great Value.

Enjoy a great reading experience when you buy the Kindle edition of this book. Learn more about Great on Kindle, available in select categories.

View Kindle Edition

{"desktop_buybox_group_1":[{"displayPrice":"$17.99","priceAmount":17.99,"currencySymbol":"$","integerValue":"17","decimalSeparator":".","fractionalValue":"99","symbolPosition":"left","hasSpace":false,"showFractionalPartIfEmpty":true,"offerListingId":"FpRrlKLOhaQACTwLBZZ0HRlicj%2Bg9BiFUECPzYsEQjKCwxyNhaNKxEGp30wKgjmpyj0s%2B38SBPuSb%2Bic19fiPJiIXYhkcXa8DdZ19jzhYgQl%2Fb9AzXfuak3OBc6JXPRZZZg%2FRI%2FKXWxp71Xbqm2UfA%3D%3D","locale":"en-US","buyingOptionType":"NEW","aapiBuyingOptionIndex":0}]}

Purchase options and add-ons

It’s the trip of a lifetime—a textile-based tour of colorful Rajasthan, India featuring more than 200 lush photographs depicting everyday life in one of the most vibrant regions in the world.

”Get lost in the beauty of the photographs in Patterns of India, a striking journey through the colorful Indian state of Rajasthan.”—BuzzFeed

Patterns of India is a visual experience that offers intimate insights into the diverse and richly hued Western Indian culture. Color is the thread that binds the vast country together, defining every aspect of life from religion and politics to food and dress. Organized by the five dominant colors royal blue, sandstone, marigold, ivory, and rose, this book explores how deeply color and pattern exist in a symbiotic relationship and are woven into every part of the culture. For instance, the fuchsia found in the draping fabric of a sari is matched by the vibrant chains of roses offered at temple, and the burnt orange spices in the marketplaces are reflected in the henna tattoos given to brides and wedding guests. While every color is imbued with meaning, it is often within the details of patterns that the full story comes to light.

Photographer and writer Christine Chitnis spent over a decade traveling through, getting to know, and falling in love with the intricate patterns of everyday Rajasthani life. With history and culture-based essays woven throughout the more than 200 stunning photographs of architecture, markets, cuisine, art, textiles, and everyday goings-on, Patterns of India captures the beauty and essence of this unique part of the world.

Frequently bought together

Patterns of India: A Journey Through Colors, Textiles, and the Vibrancy of Rajasthan

$17.99

Get it as soon as Wednesday, May 15

In Stock

Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.

+

Patterns of Portugal: A Journey Through Colors, History, Tiles, and Architecture

$27.00

Get it as soon as Wednesday, May 15

In Stock

Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.

+

Architectural Digest at 100: A Century of Style

$84.32

Get it as soon as Wednesday, May 15

In Stock

Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.

Total price:

To see our price, add these items to your cart.

Try again!

Details

Added to Cart

Choose items to buy together.

Christine Chitnis
29
Hardcover
63 offers from $19.22
Eric Meola
99
Hardcover
26 offers from $10.62
Georgianna Lane
776
Hardcover
40 offers from $10.52
kate spade new york
1,128
Hardcover
106 offers from $2.99
Ajiri Aki
220
Hardcover
67 offers from $14.56
Naomi Slade
67
Hardcover
60 offers from $12.98

From the Publisher


The stunning blue-and-white floral frescoes of the Chhavi Niwas (Hall of Images) at the Jaipur City Palace.	A new bride on her honeymoon shows off her fading mehndi.	The elaborately decorated doorway of Virendra Pol.


Mounds of spices on display at a spice shop in Jaipur’s Bapu Bazaar.	Chai is traditionally served in unglazed, single-use clay cups called kulhars.	Women in Bagru collect water for their morning chai.

Editorial Reviews

Review

“Simply marvelous! In this beautiful book, Christine provides a window through which we get to see the wonderful world of color and design that are emblematic to India and its people.”—Nik Sharma, James Beard Award and IACP Julia Child First Book Award finalist for Season: Big Flavors, Beautiful Food

“Patterns of India transports me back to my visits to Delhi and Jaipur. I can almost smell the floral, dusty fragrance that I remember so well. The celebratory colors, intricate patterns, and vivid sensory experience of the country comes across so well in this beautiful book.”—Rebecca Atwood, textile and wallpaper designer and author of Living with Pattern and Living with Color

“India is a place where the delight and brilliance of the colors, textures, and patterns immediately absorb you into the present moment. Patterns of India is an inspiring celebration of one of the most visually compelling and engaging destinations for travelers and photographers, where every detail, from the mundane to the sacred, is a divine expression of ancient and modern artisanal mastery.”—Emily Nathan, photographer and author of My Tiny Atlas and founder of Tiny Atlas Quarterly

“Christine’s photography takes us on an incredible journey into the rich history of pattern and color in Rajasthan. She has conveyed the strength of the Rajasthani visual aesthetic so perfectly through her vivid imagery and thoughtful writing. Patterns of India transports me right back to Rajasthan.”—Sana Javeri Kadri, founder of Diaspora Co.

“Patterns of India is a vibrant love story. Christine’s passion for what is surely one of the most colorful countries on the planet is clear. She brilliantly captures the flow of daily life in the sensuous subcontinent and reveals the stories that lay embedded in India’s visual landscape.”—Fiona Caulfield, travel designer, travel writer, and author of the Love Travel Guides series

About the Author

Christine Chitnis is a writer and photographer who spent ten years traveling to India. She lives with her husband and three children in Providence, Rhode Island.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

Introduction

While it is impossible to encapsulate a country as vast and culturally diverse as India, there is a tie that binds, weaving from the pink-tinged architecture of Jaipur to the shimmering Golden City of Jaisalmer. Color—in rich, vibrant hues defines every aspect of life in India, be it religion, politics, food, art, or dress. As a photographer, I was instantly drawn to its unique color wheel and especially intrigued by the way the same hues seem to echo throughout the country. The fuchsia draping fabric of a sari matches the vibrant chains of rose offerings at the mandir (Hindu temple). Burnt orange towers of spices in the marketplace are reflected in baskets of marigolds lining flower stalls. A field of dyed indigo fabric drying in the desert heat resonates with the brightly painted blue buildings of Jodhpur. Color and pattern exist in a symbiotic relationship. Pattern, when it is applied with detail and precision, can convey meaning and tell a story. Decorative motifs range from simple compositions of dots, lines, rings, and geometric patterns to more complex and meaningful designs that include elements drawn from village life and religious texts. This dynamic combination of color and pattern is most striking in the vibrant northwestern region of Rajasthan, India’s largest state.

Prior to India gaining independence from Great Britain in 1947, Rajasthan (Land of Kings) was a region comprising more than twenty princely states, a feudalist desert stronghold of royal affluence. The Rajputs, who rose to prominence in the area as early as the seventh century AD, were fierce warriors and zealously independent Hindus, and they successfully fended off waves of foreign invaders. When the imperial power in neighboring Delhi shifted in the sixteenth century to Akbar, the powerful Mughal sovereign who would gradually enlarge his empire to include nearly the entire northern Indian subcontinent, many Rajput rulers formed military and marital alliances with him. By acknowledging Akbar as emperor, they were allowed to retain their ancestral territories. The era of stability and creativity that followed this fusion of Rajput and Mughal heritage, coupled with growing wealth and consistent court patronage, had a great impact on, and is reflected in, Rajasthan’s art and architecture: floral and organic patterns, wall paintings, and fluted pillars are trademarks of the Rajput style; stone inlay filigree, mirror-glass mosaic work, geometrical patterns, and the use of arches and domes speak to the Mughal influence.

Rajasthan is home to many of India’s famous landmarks; featured in this book are the Hawa Mahal, the Jaipur City Palace, the Amer Fort, the Mehrangarh Fort, the Umaid Bhawan Palace, and the Udaipur City Palace. Despite its bustling, modern cities and royal grandeur, more than 80 percent of its people live in rural areas and make their living through agriculture or livestock herding. Not far from the cities are villages seemingly untouched by modern times, where traditional arts and handicrafts, such as hand block printing, embroidery, and weaving, are kept alive.

My own travels through India have been deeply influenced by my husband Vijay’s familial connection to the country. Mangalore, a port city in the southwestern state of Karnataka, was home to Vijay’s mother’s family; his father’s family was from Kolhapur on the banks of the Panchganga River in the western state of Maharashtra. Both of his parents were raised in Bombay, but they spoke different languages and were raised with different religions—his Hindu father spoke Marathi and his Catholic mother spoke Konkani. Their common language was English. Soon after their marriage in 1964, they immigrated to England and then to Canada, where my husband was born and raised. Vijay’s parents didn’t teach him about their homeland’s languages, religions, or customs. Being raised in an immigrant family with no strong connection to his parents’ history or culture, he felt a growing void as he tried to reconcile his upbringing as a minority in Canada with his Indian heritage. Searching for the missing pieces of his identity, he left home in his twenties and traveled to India. He settled in the northeastern state of Assam, just south of the eastern Himalayas, and lived a simple, monastic life. He immersed himself in the languages and culture that had eluded him during his childhood: he learned to speak Hindi and Bengali, and began his study and practice of Hinduism. After nearly a decade in India, Vijay made his way back to Canada in 2001, and eventually to the United States, where we met, married, and started our family.

I traveled to India for the first time as a newlywed and have returned almost every year since: pregnant with my first son and, most recently, with my daughter; when my sons were toddlers and when they were school age. We are raising our children, Vijay, Vikram, and Meera, to be proud of their Indian heritage. They have had the privilege of exploring India and their ancestry with joyous hearts and adventurous spirits, while Vijay and I work to expand their cultural knowledge. My family enjoys sightseeing during our travels, visiting palaces, forts, and museums, but we spend the majority of our time experiencing everyday life in markets, temples, and friends’ homes. This intimate perspective is what I hope to reflect in this collection. To be a traveler is to pay heightened attention to the ordinary, and that is what I strive to celebrate in my photography: the ordinary moments that feel extraordinary.

This photographic collection offers a glimpse into Rajasthan’s rich use of color and pattern; it is not meant to be a comprehensive historical or cultural study of the region’s arts and crafts and it would take many lifetimes to explore a country as vast as India. Indian art forms are complex and layered subjects. Because of the diversity of the population—across regional, geographical, and religious divides—there are myriad interpretations and representations of symbols and colors. But as I combed through my archives trying to choose photographs to include in this book, one thing became clear to me—very specific color stories were at play in Rajasthan, and patterns occupied a central role.

No matter where we live, our lives are filled with color and pattern, but as we move through the world at an increasingly frenzied pace, we often fail to notice them. I hope this collection reminds you to look for the beauty that surrounds you, whether it is in the form of a magnificent architectural feat or a humble household object.

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Clarkson Potter (March 3, 2020)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 288 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0525577092
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0525577096
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 2.18 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 7.23 x 1.15 x 9.92 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #55,615 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #4 in General India Travel Guides
- #29 in Travel Photography (Books)
- #29 in Textile & Costume (Books)

Customer Reviews:
4.8 829 ratings

Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.

Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

Upload your video

About the author

Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.

Christine Chitnis

Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.

Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

Christine Chitnis is a writer and photographer based in Providence, Rhode Island. The author of four books—including Patterns of India (Clarkson Potter, 2020)—and a contributor to publications including the New York Times, Condé Nast Traveler, Travel + Leisure and Elle, Christine has not only earned a reputation as a multi-talented storyteller, but also as a trusted strategist in the lifestyle publishing sector.

From book proposals to publicity, Christine helps fellow business owners and creatives translate their unique skills into marketable concepts. Working with first-time authors and seasoned writers alike, her vast network of editorial relationships and publishing experience has helped clients land contracts with respected publishers, features in top tier publications and even prestigious rankings on the New York Times Best Seller list. Christine also brings a practical understanding of book promotion to her projects, helping clients secure sponsored book tours and paid brand collaborations.

In her own work, Christine has long been inspired by the natural world and the craft of local artisans. From childhood summers in Northern Michigan, to the farms and coastline of her home in New England, to exploring the culture of Rajasthan with her husband, Vijay, she enjoys sharing this passion for discovery with her three young children—Vijay, Vikram and Meera.

Visit her at christinechitnis.com or follow along on Instagram @christine.chitnis

Customer reviews

4.8 out of 5

829 global ratings

How customer reviews and ratings work

Reviews with images

See all photos

Sort reviews by

Top reviews from the United States

There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later.

T

Inspiring

Reviewed in the United States on April 13, 2024

Verified Purchase

I am almost finished with this book and don’t want it to end. I have been carried away by the images and writing in such a surprisingly blissful way. Some have mentioned they wished the book had glossy paper. I disagree. I love the feel of the thick matte pages and the color is still very striking-I am a surface pattern designer and color is one of the things I live by and one of the reasons I purchased this book. I am more than satisfied with this book, I adore it!

One person found this helpful

Helpful

kratika dubey

Amazing buy for this price.

Reviewed in the United States on January 12, 2024

Verified Purchase

Lovely book!if you’re a fan of Indian culture, must buy! Page quality could have been better but for the price paid, it’s justified.

2 people found this helpful

Helpful

Hilary Grosskopf

An Informational and Inspiring Visual Journey Through Rajasthan

Reviewed in the United States on March 6, 2020

Verified Purchase

If you love culture, photography, art, and writing, you will love this intimate and vivid journey through Rajasthan. Christine’s photographs and writing come together to create a truly immersive experience. Throughout the book, Christine provides an abundance of information about Rajasthan and Indian history, as well as Rajasthan’s unique artwork, traditions, industry, and culture.

This book is a powerful learning experience because the photographs so wonderfully compliment and underscore the information Christine shares. I have traveled to India multiple times and this book brought me back there, reconnecting me with India’s vibrant energy and culture. I also learned many things I didn’t yet know about Rajasthan, Hinduism, and Indian culture.

While most travel photography books are organized by geography, this book is artfully organized by color! This book is an essential study if you are a photographer or author because Christine skillfully captures the essence of the culture respectfully, intentionally, and authentically. After reading this book I feel more creatively inspired. I really enjoyed developing a deeper understanding of India and getting to know Christine as well while reading this book.

This book is a beautiful coffee table book but it is much more than that. Most of us that have traveled to India have a deeply personal reason for doing so. Christine shares her personal story beautifully in this book. If you have not yet made the trip to India, this book might just provide that dose of inspiration and motivation to take your own journey very soon.

34 people found this helpful

Helpful

Sthom91

Great coffee table book

Reviewed in the United States on October 9, 2023

Verified Purchase

A beautiful book depicting all the exquisite patterns of India! Highly recommend

3 people found this helpful

Helpful

inj

Beautiful photography, not a reference book

Reviewed in the United States on March 21, 2021

Verified Purchase

The book contains evocative everyday scenes and is a celebration from the point of view of beautiful if not always stylistically unique photography.

I seem to be seeing more and more books using matte paper even when colors are really important so that wasn't a great choice as far as I was concerned, but doesn't make the experience of the photographs lackluster.

This is a light memory-jogger as far as style and patterns, nothing like a design reference for South Asian heritage patterns. So much can be seen from the preview anyway.

All that aside, this was a dedicated exploration in what it was meant to be. It takes an amount of attention and care to not academize Indian art and style away from Indian life. I certainly do not regret this book.

9 people found this helpful

Helpful

Kindle Customer

Wonderful pictures that should have been on glossy paper

Reviewed in the United States on June 15, 2022

Verified Purchase

Wonderful cover and inner pages and marvelous pictures all spoiled by using cheap paper. Should have been on glossy paper

9 people found this helpful

Helpful

Maria Abadesco

great Read

Reviewed in the United States on December 28, 2023

Verified Purchase

History and overview of both textiles and architectural features of Jaipur and more. History buffs, fashion and architectural students would love!

3 people found this helpful

Helpful

lighter

lush and gorgeous!

Reviewed in the United States on March 16, 2020

Verified Purchase

I absolutely adore this book. The photography is stunning and varied, and I really love the organization around color and pattern. The quality of the book is clear in the thick paper and beautiful embossed cloth cover. This is a gorgeous coffee table book, but one you and your guests will actually pick up and savor! Christine provides interesting history about various applications of color and pattern but the photographs are the central focus of the book, which makes it so fun to look through. I also really appreciated the introduction by fashion scholar Dr. Vandana Bhandari, as well as Christine's cultural sensitivity and obvious respect for the cultures of Rajasthan. I love looking at this book and allowing my imagination to carry me far away to a place I've always longed to visit (one day!!). Highly recommend!

Christine Bayles Kortsch

19 people found this helpful

Helpful

Top reviews from other countries

Translate all reviews to English

Corner Home

Buenas Fotografías

Reviewed in Mexico on January 8, 2023

Verified Purchase

The media could not be loaded.

No muy grande pero lomo grueso. Buenas ilustraciones.

Translate review to English

Jag

Beautiful book

Reviewed in Canada on May 24, 2022

Verified Purchase

Beautiful book full of inspiration. Exactly what I needed. The photographs are stunning, paper quality is great. Definitely a book to keep on display

One person found this helpful

Louise

Gorgeous book

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on September 13, 2023

Verified Purchase

A feast for the eyes, a beautiful book to browse through

Pedro Arantes

qualidade e custo benefício/ defeito devido a transporte sem plástico bolha

Reviewed in Brazil on December 17, 2020

Verified Purchase

veio com pequeno defeito devido ao transporte ter sido feito sem plástico bolha. o livro é lindo. a qualidade do material muito boa, comprei de presente pra um amigo e tenho certeza que ele vai adorar.

6 people found this helpful

Translate review to English

Jana Hennig

Pretty

Reviewed in India on July 29, 2022

Verified Purchase

Love this book

See more reviews

Return this item for free

Follow the author

Image Unavailable

Patterns of India: A Journey Through Colors, Textiles, and the Vibrancy of Rajasthan Hardcover – March 3, 2020

Purchase options and add-ons

Frequently bought together

Similar items that may deliver to you quickly

From the Publisher

The stunning blue-and-white floral frescoes of the Chhavi Niwas (Hall of Images) at the Jaipur City Palace.

A new bride on her honeymoon shows off her fading mehndi.

The elaborately decorated doorway of Virendra Pol.

Mounds of spices on display at a spice shop in Jaipur’s Bapu Bazaar.

Chai is traditionally served in unglazed, single-use clay cups called kulhars.

Women in Bagru collect water for their morning chai.

Editorial Reviews

Review

About the Author

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

Product details

Videos for this product

Customer Review: Beautiful inspiring book, quality binding and pages

Videos for this product

Honest Review Of Patterns Of India Book

Videos for this product

Patterns of India: A Journey Through Colors, Textiles, and the Vibrancy of Rajasthan

Videos for this product

Cute Coffee Table Book with Great Imagery

About the author

Christine Chitnis

Customer reviews

Reviews with images

Top reviews from the United States

There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later.

Top reviews from other countries

Amazon Prime includes:

Follow the author

Patterns of India: A Journey Through Colors, Textiles, and the Vibrancy of Rajasthan Hardcover – March 3, 2020

Purchase options and add-ons

Frequently bought together

Similar items that may deliver to you quickly

From the Publisher

The stunning blue-and-white floral frescoes of the Chhavi Niwas (Hall of Images) at the Jaipur City Palace.

A new bride on her honeymoon shows off her fading mehndi.

The elaborately decorated doorway of Virendra Pol.

Mounds of spices on display at a spice shop in Jaipur’s Bapu Bazaar.

Chai is traditionally served in unglazed, single-use clay cups called kulhars.

Women in Bagru collect water for their morning chai.

Editorial Reviews

Review

About the Author

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

Product details

Videos

Videos for this product

Customer Review: Beautiful inspiring book, quality binding and pages

Videos for this product

Honest Review Of Patterns Of India Book

Videos for this product

Patterns of India: A Journey Through Colors, Textiles, and the Vibrancy of Rajasthan

Videos for this product

Cute Coffee Table Book with Great Imagery

About the author

Christine Chitnis

Customer reviews

Reviews with images

Top reviews from the United States

There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later.

Top reviews from other countries