India, Sept. 1 -- It is a tough choice between several contenders, but we finally settle on Rogan art. Away from the whiteness of the salt pans, the road to Nirona winds through farmland, where millet sways in the wind and goats idle in the shade of acacia trees. By the time we reach the village, the afternoon sun has mellowed. Walking past mud-walled houses and narrow lanes, we arrive at a modest doorway that opens into a small, sunlit room.

Inside, lime-washed walls are dressed with framed swatches of hand-painted fabric. Flamboyant peacocks, elaborate medallions, intricate vines, and the tree of life. It's a defiant riot of hues for a land known for a muted palette. Out there, the land may be dust-toned, but here, emeralds, rubies, an...