Art Marvel of India - Pattachitra

Paintings are a significant medium of expression with special aesthetical values. As a means of decoration, they're loved by all. Pattachitra is one such artwork from Orissa in India. Pattachitra is derived from two Sanskrit words. ‘Patta’, which means canvas and ‘Chitra’, which means drawing. Together, it implies drawing on cloth canvas. The theme of Pattachitra paintings usually contain depictions of mythological stories, festivals and other events significant to Hinduism.


Origin:

The making of Pattachitra is closely linked to the worship of Lord Jagannath. There are many assertions of its origin. One of them traces its roots back to 8th Century A.D. The statement is supported with fragmented evidences of cave paintings at Khandagiri, Udayagiri and Sitabinji, in Orissa.

Some say that Pattachitra is as old as 5th Century A.D. Accordingly, the first forms of Pattachitra art originated in the village of Puri, where this artwork is still quite popular.

Another story about the origin of the paintings is traced to a moving legend in the Chitralakshana (the earliest known treatise on painting). It is said that when the son of the King’s highest priest died, Brahma asked the king to paint a lifelike likeness of a boy so that he could breathe life into him again and this became the first painting of Pattachitra.

Making of Pattachitra:

Making these exquisite paintings involve immense craftsmanship, hard work, patience and dedication. It takes years of practice to perfect the art. These are qualities possessed by ‘Chitrakars’ or the artists who make Pattachitra. Maharana, Mahapatras, Sahoo, and Swain are castes of the Chitrakars. Usually in the artist families, the art has been passed through generations in the form of a book where the important information and work of research has been written down.

The village of Raghurajpur is where many Chitrakars live in an area dedicated to them called the Chitrakar Sahe. It lies in Puri, Orissa. The most marvellous works of Pattachitra are found here.

• The cloth:

- The process of making Pattachitra starts by preparing the cloth. First the desired cloth is dipped in tamarind water and sun dried. It is then layered with chalk powder and gum and sun dried again.

- After this, another layer of cloth is stuck to it with gum and sun dried. The dried cloth is finally rubbed with Chikna stone for a shiny surface.

• The painting:

- The borders of the painting are an integral part of it which is completed first.
- Then, an outline of the figures is drawn with pencil followed by thin white lines.
- The figures are painted using appropriate brushes.
- The ornaments of the figures are now drawn and painted. The motifs are also highlighted with a black border. Very fine motifs are drawn in white.
- The facial features of the figures are painted at the end, eyes being the last stroke.
- Lacquering is done after the painting has dried.

A single Pattachitra painting takes roughly 15 days to complete, while some require months.

• Colours:

Traditionally, only five colours were used for Pattachitra. These are white, black, blue, black, red, and yellow. Nowadays, other colours like green, brown are also used. They are all natural colours.

Sometimes a painting is done only in black and white.

Themes:

Some of the important themes are Thia Badhia (representation of the Jagannath temple), Krishna Lila (Jagannath as Krishna demonstrating his childhood feats), Dasavatara Patti (The ten incarnations of Vishnu), Navagunjara (a figure comprising nine different creatures), Kandarparath (Cupid’s Chariot - Krishna on a chariot fully composed of colourfully dressed, playful women). Rama - Ravana Yuddham (War between Rama and Ravana), Kanchi Abhijana (Expedition against the Kingdom of Kanchi).

The basic Pattachitra tales revolved around Hindu beliefs and ideologies. It was mostly about Lord Jagannath and the Vaishnava sect. Images of Hindu gods and goddesses such as Krishna, Vishnu, Shiva, Hanuman, Radha, Parvati and Sita were used to depict tales and stories from the ancient scriptures. Nowadays, the type of motifs painted include plants, flowers, geometrical shapes and animals.

Besides Orissa, Pattachitra is also popular in West Bengal.

This process of painting remains the same from the time of its origin. The only change is that advanced brushes are used and minuteness of the painting has enhanced over the years. While Pattachitra was only done of cloth earlier, it was then expanded to painting on walls. Today, we find Pattachitra work on sarees, ceramic bowls, pens, coasters, plates, wall hangings, key chains, and boxes. Pattachitra on silks are popularly sold as wall hangings. Currently, several designers and craftsmen have come up with new ways of introducing the artwork on other items as well.

Pattachitra is an art to live and flourish. It is famous all over the world as a glorious craft of Orissa. It finds market with foreign tourists and lovers of art. Pattachitra paintings and other utility products based on Pattachitra are available in every craft shop, emporium and exhibition.