The Tales Of Pattachitra Art

The Pattachitra Is A Traditional Art Form From Orissa Region That Is Completely Based On Hindu Mythology. The Name Is Derived From Sanskrit Word For Cloth “Patta” & Picture “Chitra” Denoting Cloth Based Scroll Painting. Most Paintings Depict Hindu Mythology & Are Inspired By Lord Jagannath.It Is One Of The Oldest Art Form Of Odisha.

 

Pattachitra Is One Of The Spellbinding Traditional Painting Of Odisha, India. All Shades Used In The Paintings Are Natural. Ancient Times It Was Done Only On Cloth Canvas And It Used To Depict About Hindu Mythology. Now A Days Pattachitra Artists Are Exploring New Designs And Themes. There Was A Time, When This Art Form Was Known To Be Associated Only With Men, But With Time, Woman Have Also Mastered It And Are Contributing To Sustain This Rare Heritage. Pattachitra Painting Depicts Mostly About Mythological Characters.

 

The Origin Of Pattachitra Paintings Depicts The Old Time Period Of Odisha Dating Back To The 5th Century Bc.It Is Located In The Regions Of The ‘Pattachitra’ Painting Depicts The Old Murals Of Odisha Dating Back To The 5th Century Bc Especially In The Religious Centres Of Puri, Konark And Bhubaneswar Region. Raghurajpur, A Village In Odisha State.

 

Traditionally, The Painters Are Known As ‘chitrakaars’. The Use Of Cloth For Painting Has Been In Trend In India From Early Period. The Origin Of The Patta Style Is Based On Lord. The Colour Schemes Of The Deities Of Puri Are Quite Similar To Those Of The Patta Style. The Patta Painting Has Its Root In Religion. It Is Evolved, Nourished And Flourished Under The Cult Of Lord Jagannath. These Paintings Were Originally Created Mainly For Worship On Days When The Temple Doors Were Shut For The ‘ritual Bath’ Of The Deity. D. Here In These Paintings, The Deities Have Been Depicted With Full Leg And Hands In Padmasan Mudra. These Paintings Are Known As Ansar Pati.

The Pattachitra Art Has Its Origin In The Jagannath Temple. It Revolved Around The Main Theme Of Pattas. In This Form Of Art, Lord Jagannath Is Depicted As Maha Vishnu And The Way Of Worship Is Shaped Mostly By Vaisnavite Tradition. Patta Chitra Are The Stories From Ramayan And Mahabharat Including That Of Lord Jagannath, Their Perennial Source Of Inspiration. Patta Paintings Are Done On A Strips Of Cotton Cloth.The Canvas For Painting Is Prepared By Coating The Cotton Cloth With A Mixture Of Chalk And Gum Made From Tamarind Seeds. The Cloth Is Then Dried. When Canvas Is Smooth Then Chikana Stone Is Rubbed For Shining The Cloth. Then, Khaddar Stone Is Rubbed On The Cloth Several Times For Smoothening The Canvas. After Which The Chitrakaar (artist) Paints The Canvas With Vegetable And Stone Colors. The Final Lines Are Drawn Directly With The Brush Either In Light Red Or Yellow.The Colours Used Are Bright And Primarily White, Red, Yellow, Blue, Green And Black. The Red Is Used Predominantly For The Back Ground. These Colours Are Prepared Out Of The Natural Ingredients. In This Way, The Beautiful & Fascinating Art Form, The Patta Chitra Has Become A Distinct Art Form.