Patachitra Painting of Orissa

Patachitra Painting of Orissa
Patachitra or painting on cloth is among the most distinct forms of traditional painting in Orissa. The word is derived from the Sanskrit word patta meaning 'canvas' and chitra meaning 'picture'. Raghurajpur in Puri district has the largest number of chitrakars, painters. The origin of the Patachitra paintings can be traced back to the 8th century AD and it is considered as one of the earliest forms of indigenous paintings. The iconic paintings, a domain of the Chitrakar community of painters, depict religious themes - stories from the Ramayana, Mahabharata, Krishna Lila and incarnations of Lord Vishnu. But the most popular depiction is that of Lord Jagannath. The patachitra has its roots in the schematic paintings of the Jagannath Temple that were made as souvenirs for the pilgrims. The paintings are colorful and characterized by
creative motifs and details of human figures, jewelry and costumes. The canvas is skillfully made. Cloth is bonded with gum made from powdered tamarind seeds, dried in the sun and burnished on both sides with a stone and subsequently with a smooth pebble. Patachitras have two kinds of borders - floral and geometric. The common motifs painted on these borders are called dahaniya macchi, kangura, Lahara macchi, goolai, sapa and chauk. The patachitras have an important role in the rituals of the temple at Puri. They are temporarily installed in place of the deities during the few times the idols are taken out of the temple for the processions. The subject matter of Patachitras can be broadly divided into six categories- Pictures of the god Jagannath; Episodes from the Hindu epics; Themes from folklore; Ritual themes related to the worship of various gods and goddesses; Animal and bird themes; and Erotic themes. However, the religious motifs remain the core of the pictorial content of the Patachitras. Despite the use of liberal themes and modern techniques at times, traditional styles and processes continue to flourish and dominate conventions. The traditional colors used in the Patachitra are red, ochre, indigo, green, black and white obtained from natural sources like hingola, haritala, Lamp Black and Shells. These paintings are created in the form of scrolls. The painted scrolls depict episodes from mythology and stories related to various gods and goddesses. The Patachitra paintings are known for their vibrant colors and distinctive lines. The crude brushes used for the paintings are made from the hair of domestic animals. The cloth is given a protective coating with lacquer to guard it from the effects of nature and to give it a glazed look. Patachitra paintings were traditionally drawn by the mahapatras or maharanas, the original artiste caste in Orissa. These paintings became an important art form with the ornamentation of Lord Jagannath in the innermost sanctum, where paintings on especially treated cloth or pata of the deities were done by the temple painter. The themes were tribal and folk. Images sourced from Google Search Engine with the term "Patachitra of Orissa"