Pattachitra or Patachitra is made of two Sanskrit words Patta which means cloth and Chitra meaning picture. It is a form of traditional painting which is mainly done in Indian States of Odisha and West Bengal. The process of creating art is a labor of love and completely done by hand including creating the canvas and colors. The GI tags are also registered differently for both the states. Pattachitra of Odisha is registered as Orissa Pattachitra while that of West Bengal is registered as Bengal Patachitra. In this blog we try to cover the finer points of Orissa Pattachitra.
These artforms were initially created for ritual use and also selling as souvenirs to the tourists and pilgrims visiting the Jagannath Temple in Puri. But with increasing awareness and appreciation for traditional and folk arts it is now much sought after for its fine work and artistic value.
In Odisha this style is not restricted to painting on cloth but is also painted on walls, where it is known as Bhitti Chitra and is also done on Palm leaves engravings which is known as Tala Patrachitra or Pothichitra. Although practiced widely the area in and around Puri is known for producing some of the best works ( eg the village of Raghurajpur has gained wide fame).
The themes of these paintings are mythological, religious and folklore and are bright in colors and have creative motifs and designs. The themes that are depicted can broadly be classified as (a) Badhia – Depiction of the Jagannath temple in Puri.
(b) Krishna Lila – Lord Jagannath as child Krishna.
(c) Dasavatara Patti – The ten incarnations of Lord Vishnu.
(d) Panchmukhi – Paintings depicting Lord Ganesha as a five headed deity.
(e) Anasar Patti – The paintings of Lord Jagannath with Lord Balabhadra and Goddess Subhadra
There are rules that are still followed by artists ( who are also known as Chitrakaars) while creating a Pattachitra –
1) Creating a floral border in almost all the paintings.
2) The eyes are unusually elongated.
3) Dominance of solid shades.
4) Emotional expressions are quite detailed.
The traditional process of creating a Pattachitra is quite interesting and also very slow and tedious. The canvas is created using a fine cotton cloth which is then coated white stone powder and a gum of tamarind seeds. But with increasing demand for the paintings many artists have also started using handmade papers to increase the productivity. The colors used are also unique and are prepared by using natural ingredients like gum Kaitha tree which is used as a base for making different pigments. Some of the material which are used for creating prominent colors are
1) Powdered Conch shells for white color.
2) Black color is prepared by burning coconut shells.
3) Hingula which is a mineral is used for red color.
4) Haritala the king of stone ingredient is used for creating yellow color.
5) Ramaraja which is a sort of Indigo is used for blue.
This entire process of creating the painting is time consuming and hazardous, often the entire family works on different processes. This is also one of the reasons why the cost of owning a genuine work is high. Royal Craft India , a professional startup is committed to bringing this art to your living rooms. Do write in to know more and purchase from us.
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