Pattachitra

Etymology: Pattachitra, as the name implies where the 'Chitra' (painting or picture) is created on the 'Patta' (cloth) which is derived from a Sanskrit word. Hence, Pattachitra means painting on the cloth.

Origin: Pattachitra is an ancient folk art of Odisha and Bengal. The history of Pattachitra dates back 300 years, the Pattachitra or scroll painting is a pigment-painted cloth used in rituals. The ones from Odisha are primarily connected to the Jagannath Temple of Puri. The ones from Bengal revolve around the wider Hindu pantheon.

Location: The art of Pattachitra is found around Puri and especially in the village of Raghurajpur in Odisha. The village of Naya in the Midnapur district of West Bengal is another important centre. Apart from these two eminent places, Pattachitra painting is also practised in other nearby villages.

Community: The traditional painter communities, known as Chitrakaras, who are often Sutradharas by caste, create Patta or scroll paintings. These artists are often known as 'Patuas' in West Bengal. According to some researchers, the Santhals were the original creators of 'Patashilpa', a form of art.

Relevance: The Odisha Pattachitra paintings are worshipped by devotees, especially during the annual Anasara ritual since the idols of the three deities of the Jagannath cult cannot be seen by anyone during that time. The Bengal Pattachitras, on the other hand, depict other Hindu deities and associated myths. Today these are used by devotees all year round.

Historical background: The ancient eastern school, which flourished under Palas, Senas, and Vermas, had disappeared by the time the Pattachitra emerged. The Patas served as substitute icons for the wooden image of Jagganath, Subhadra and Balabhadra in Odisha when these were removed for repainting. They also doubled as memorabilia for visiting devotees. Thus, by the 1980s, the Pattachitras evolved from sacred depictions of the deities to popular tourist souvenirs.

Culture and Societies: People from Raghurajpur, Odisha are born with an advantage as this is a village dedicated to the arts where a painter, dancer, or craftsperson can be found in each home. The daily visit to Puri was not possible for the people or devotees of far-off places, so they used to worship the paintings of Lord Jagannath. Hence, these paintings were also called Jatri Patti.

Religious significance: Since the pattachitra has its origin in the Jagannath temple, the triad has usually been the main theme of the pattas, especially in the ones from Odisha. Since this subsect worships Jagannath, a form of Vishnu, most of the rituals are influenced by the Vaishnavite tradition. Most of the themes of traditional Pattachitra are stories from the Ramayana and the Mahabharata while maintaining Lord Jagannath as their perennial source of inspiration. Myths from Hinduism, generally, serve as themes in these paintings.

Legends: A Chaitanya bhakt from Bengal came and settled in 'Raghurajpur which was then a jungle. He made a representation of Jagannath. He coloured the face of the Lord from coal, which is why Jagannath is still represented with a black face. This saint was the first artist in the village. In pursuit of the divine, he experimented with limestone and then with colours; this was the way the village evolved and became an artist's village.

Central motifs and their significance: The themes and motifs of Pattachitra painting centre around Lord Jagannath, the chief deity of Puri, and the Vaishnav cult. The subjects of the paintings are from the ancient epic, mostly mythologies, sacred legends and local history and belief systems. Very popular themes are different veshas or attire of Lord Jagannath, who is believed to be an incarnation of Lord Krishna, with older brother Balram and sister Subhadra, and different depictions related to Lord Krishna.

Medium used: A Pattachitra is generally made on cloth that has been effectively treated with water, locally available fruit gum, tamarind powder, tamarind seed, and lac. Besides this, the colours are usually sourced from naturally available minerals like haritali (yellow stone), hingula (red ochre), ramaraja or ghanila (indigo stone), shankha gunda (conch shell powder), khadi pathar (whitestone), etc. Traditionally, brushes were made of mongoose or mouse hair to form the fine tip which was fixed over a bamboo or wooden handle, now the chitrakaras use the brushes sold in the market.

Interestingly, there is another pattachitra-making tradition in Odisha called Talapattachitra. Although the theme and motif of the art remain the same, the base of this art form is a palm leaf and the motifs are drawn by an iron stylus while carving the leaf.

Style: Pattachitra is a disciplined form of art and comes with a set of rules and restrictions. A floral border is a must in Pattachitra paintings, and the use of natural colours restricts them to maintaining a single tone of shade. This creates a distinct look and feels that is typical of Pattachitra which cannot be replicated.

Process: The preparation of pattas on canvas for painting is very interesting. It is indigenously prepared. A piece of cloth is washed neatly and spread out over the surface of a cot or on the verandah floor. The tamarind seed is powdered and some water is put on it to prepare a special gum. This gum is applied over this piece of cloth. Before this gum dries up, another piece of cloth of the same size is placed on it and a fresh coating of gum is pasted on it. Then the patta is allowed to dry in the sun. After it is dried, a paste of soft white stone powder which looks like chalk powder, and tamarind seed gum, mixed in ideal proportions applied on both sides. After both sides dry completely the huge piece of cloth is cut into the required sizes.

After cutting them into sizes, the next work is to polish them to make them smooth and suitable for painting. The polishing is first made with a rough stone and then it is polished with a pebble whose surface is smooth. After this process, paintings are sketched. This process is followed by the application of the colours in a step-by-step process - starting with the deities and ending with defining the hair, eyes, and floral motifs. The entire work is then outlined in black and finally lacquered.

Traditionally Pattachitra was made to offer to Lord Jagannath temple as in seva (service) from pilgrims but today, it is used to produce a whole range of products like saris, dupattas (stoles), bed sheets, cushions, dress material etc. to fulfill the household demand for which tussar and mill cotton cloth is used. The traditional pattas are replaced with tussar silk cloth. As the tussar is a finished cloth, the painters don't have to put in extra labour to make it suitable for painting as in the case of cloth as a base. The craft is still as brilliant as ever and competing in the modern market to maintain the heritage of India.

Nowadays, the patta painting has been recognized as one of the popular art forms of Orissa. With the advancement of time, a lot of changes have been noticed in the preparation, colour, theme, approach to the subject and the market-ability scenario of these paintings. The Pattachitra paintings have made a slow journey from the temple precincts to the walls of drawing rooms, lounges of hotels and guest houses.

1. Jain, R., Chishti, R. K., Singh, M. (2000) Handcrafted Indian Textiles: Tradition and Beyond. India: Lustre Press.

2. Saraf, D. N. (1982). Indian Crafts: Development & Potential. India: Vikas Publications.