Patachitra or Pattachitra is a general term for traditional, cloth-based scroll painting,[SenGupta, pp. 13.] based in the eastern Indian states of Odisha,
Etymology
In Sanskrit, the word
paṭṭa means "cloth" and
chitra means "picture". Most of these paintings depict stories of Hindu deities.
[SenGupta, pp. 12.]
Early history
Charanachitras,
Mankhas,
Yamapatas were ancient forms of paintings executed on textile-scrolls and dealt with themes of a narrative-didactic nature of storytelling, which finds mentions in Hindu, Jain and Buddhist texts. According to historian
Niharranjan Ray, these textile-scroll paintings were ancestors of the Pattachitra art form.
Bengal Patachitra
The Bengal Patachitra refers to the painting of
West Bengal and
Bangladesh. It is a traditional and mythological heritage of
West Bengal. The Bengal Patachitra is divided into some different aspects like
Durga Pat,
Chalchitra,
Tribal Patachitra,
Medinipur Patachitra, and
Kalighat Patachitra.
The subject matter of Bengal Patachitra is mostly mythological, religious stories, folk lore and social. The Kalighat Patachitra, the last tradition of Bengal Patachitra is developed by
Jamini Roy. The artist of the Bengal Patachitra is called
Patua.
[Giusti, M. and Chakraborty, U. (ed.). Immagini Storie Parole. Dialoghi di formazione coi dipinti cantati delle donne Chitrakar del West Bengal. Mantova: Universitas Studiorum, 2014, ]
Patachitra of Naya village in West Bengal is now collected in National Museum of Ethnology (henceforth MNE) in Lisbon.
Origin
Patachitra is known for its excellent play of colour. It is a traditional folk art form of rural Bengal. There are some controversial opinions about the dates of ancient Patas. But it has been suggested based on historical themes connected with the accompanied songs like
Patua Sangeet. It dates back to the Pre- Pala period which is still tucked away with small villages of
Midnapore,
Bankura,
Purulia,
Howrah,
Hooghly district and 24 Parganas.
There are some Jadu-Patuas painting of mural style in the temples of
Bankura district in West Bengal.
Theme and style
There are many types of Pots like religious, secular. Religious pots encompass the story of Hindu epics like, mythology, Ramayana, Mahabharata narrating stories of Hindu gods and goddesses like
Radha Krishna, Chaitanya,
Kali, Shiba and the indigenous Bengali folklore of Manasha and Chandi, Behula and Lakshinder being the most popular. Secular pots depicts important news events, scandals accidents etc. such as bus accidents at Narayangarh, rural elections, the rationing system, family planning, evils of the dowry system etc. Every Patachitra has a song related to it, which the artists sing while unfurling the Patachitra. Singing pot in Bengal is called
Patua Sangeet. Patua Sangeet or Poter Gan is a cultural tradition of the singing Bengal Patachitra. It is performed by
Patua.
It is famous in the village part of
West Bengal like
Birbhum,
Jhargram,
Bardhaman and
Murshidabad as a folk song of
West Bengal.
Aspects of painting
Bengal Patachitra painting has a different type of motive and aspects that unrolled the Bengali culture. Using the mythological epic and the natural color it is one of the individual characteristics of the Bengal Patachitra.
Chalchitra
Chalchitra is a part of
Bengal Patachitra, It referred to the
Debi Chal or
Durga chala, the background of the
Durga Pratima or idol.
, the artists of Chalchitra called it as
Pata Lekha, means the writing of Patachitra.
300–400 years old idols of
Shakta Rash used Chalchitra as a part of Pratima. At a time, the use of Chalchitra became fade, but now it has a great popularity.
Durga sara
Durga sara is a variant of the patachitra. Instead of a cloth, the backside of a clay tray or dish called sara (সরা) in Bengali is used as the canvas, where an image of the Hindu goddess
Durga is painted. Poor Bengali Hindu families in regions of West Bengal like
Nadia district & 24 Parganas use it as an alternative of
Murti for worship.
Lakshmi sara
Lakshmi sara is similar in style to the Durga sara. It depicts the Hindu goddess
Lakshmi & was used as an alternative to idols by poorer Bengali Hindu families during the
Sharada Purnima festivities. Initially confined to regions of East Bengal (in what is now
Bangladesh), specifically
Greater Faridpur &
Dhaka Division regions, the art style came to West Bengal through the hands of Bengali Hindu artists fleeing religious persecution following the Partition of Bengal, 1950 East Pakistan riots, 1964 East Pakistan riots & 1971 Bangladesh genocide, with its sales being fuelled by demand from East Bengali refugees.
Gazir Pat
Gazir pat is a variation of the patachitra theme. Catering specifically to
Bengali Muslims, it depicts the exploits of
Gazi Pir, an Islamic preacher whose tomb lies in Ghutiari Sharif, who combined the roles of a pir & a ghazi & is renowned for having battled the Bengali Hindu
Folk religion Dakshin Rai as a part of his
Dawah. He himself has been raised to the status of a folk god by Arzals &
Dalit living in the
Sundarbans alike, who seek his intercession in repelling attacks of the
Bengal tiger. This art form is widespread in Bangladesh.
Technique
The Patachitra of different districts of
West Bengal are characterized by many peculiarities in colour and design. The patachitra of
Manbhum, now known as
Purulia district can easily be distinguished by their preference for one particular shade of burnt sienna relieved by white and yellow patches and densely packed composition. The seated figures of
Dasaratha and
Chand Sadagar of
Medinipur crowning the
Ramayana and Kamale-Kamini scrolls are impressive and monumental.
[Craft council of West Bengal-1985-86, The Jarana Patachitra of Bengal- Mahamaya, p-112] In the scrolls of pot of
Birbhum district,
Bankura district and
Burdwan district preference for Indian red background usually found, the scrolls of
Hooghly district preferred a dark brown. The
Hooghly district and
Manbhum 'pats' are peculiar and definitely modernistic with the abstract linear treatment.
[D. P. Ghosh, FOLK ART OF BENGAL, Visvabharati, p-4]
Colour
Use of natural color is one of the individual characteristics of the Bengal Patachitra. In general, blue,
yellow,
green,
red,
brown,
black and
white are used in the Patachitra of
West Bengal. Chalk dust is used for white color, pauri for yellow color, cultivated indigo for blue, bhushakali for black and mete sindur for red color.
Artists
Bengal Patua artists carry the occupational surname of 'Chitrakar'. They are concentrated in the village of Naya in
Medinipur district of
West Bengal. Prominent artists include Khandu and Radha Chitrakar and their children Bapi, Samir, Prabir, Laltu, Tagar, Mamoni and Laila Chitrakar. Monimala is known for her use of bold, primal colours and the development of her own iconographic style.
Odisha Pattachitra
Pattachitra is a traditional painting of Odisha, India.
These paintings are based on
Hinduism and specially inspired by
Jagannath and
Vaishnava traditions.
All colours used in the Paintings are natural and paintings are made ancient traditional way by Chitrakaras that is Odiya Painter. Pattachitra style of painting is one of the oldest and most popular art forms of
Odisha. The name Pattachitra has evolved from the Sanskrit words
patta, meaning canvas, and
chitra, meaning picture. Pattachitra is thus a painting done on canvas, and is manifested by rich colourful application, creative motifs, designs, and portrayal of simple themes, mostly mythological in depiction.
The traditions of
pattachitra paintings are more than thousand years old.
[ Unknown]
Origin
depicted in the form of two lovers. Pigment on cloth, 16 x 12cm, Odisha, mid-nineteenth century. Private collection|left]] paintings of
Odisha can be divided into three categories from the point of view of medium, i.e. paintings on cloth or 'Patta Chitra', paintings on walls or 'Bhitti Chitra' and palm leaf engravings or "Tala Patra Chitra" or "Pothi, Chitra'.
The style of all these remains more or less the same at a specific time because then the artists were commissioned to work in all these media, it is believed.
The painting, the pattachitra, resembles the old murals of Odisha, especially religious centres of Puri, Konark and Bhubaneswar region, dating back to the 5th century BC. The best work is found in and around Puri, especially in the village of Raghurajpur.
old tradition of Odia painting still survives in places like Puri, Raghurajpur, Paralakhemundi, Chikiti and Sonepur. Lord Jagannath in the present form is being taken as the origin of the Patta style. The colour schemes of the deities of Puri are quite similar to those of the Patta style. The oldest record of Patta Paintings probably does not go beyond the establishment of the present shrine of Shri Jagannath at Puri. It may be since paintings do not survive like sculptures. The paints inside the shrines of Lord Jagannath at Puri make the date probable. The oldest classical marble paintings of Sitabanji at Keonjhar do not conform to the present style of Patta painting wholly. The wooden statues of the three deities are also covered with cloth and then overlaid with glue mixed with chalk, and then given paint only with four limited colours of red, yellow, white and black. The deities who are held in high esteem by the Odias and who inspire religion, life and activity of the people also carry with them a tradition of art and painting which is as old as the deities themselves. If the Savara origin of Jagannath is accepted, the date of the Patta paintings can be dated back to an earlier period. These paintings were originally substitutes for worship on days when the idols were kept away from the public after their ritual bath.
Theme and style
theme of Odia painting centres round the
Jagannath and the
Vaishnava sect. Since the beginning of Pattachitra culture, Lord
Jagannath who was an incarnation of Lord
Krishna has been the major source of inspiration. The subject matter of Pattachitra is mostly mythological, religious stories and
folk lore. Themes are chiefly on Lord Jagannath and
Radha-
Krishna, different "Vesas" of Shri Jagannath,
Balabhadra and
Subhadra, temple activities, the ten incarnations of
Vishnu basing on the '
Gita Govinda' of
Jayadeva, Kama Kujara
Navagunjara,
Ramayana,
Mahabharata.
The individual paintings of gods and goddesses are also being painted.
The Pattachitra style is a mix of both folk and classical elements, but leans more towards folk forms. The dress style has Mughal Empire influences. All of the poses have been confined to a few well-defined postures. These are not free from monotonous repetitions, though at times this is necessary to accentuate the narrative character of the style. The lines are bold and clean and angular and sharp. Generally, there are no landscapes, perspectives, or distant views. All the incidents are seen in close juxtaposition. The background on which the figures are represented is delineated with decorations of flowers and foliage, and is mostly painted in red colour. All the paintings are given decorative borders. The whole painting is conceived in the form of a design on a given canvas.
The themes may be classified into following categories[ categories of Pattachitra ]
-
Jagannath paintings
-
Vaishnav Paintings
-
Bhagabat paintings
-
Ramayana paintings
-
Saiva paintings
-
Shakta paintings
-
Paintings as legends
-
Ragachitras
-
Bandhachitra
-
Yamapati and yatripatas – (sketches of puri temple) Ganjapa playing card paintings and other social themes on paintings.
-
Navagunjara
Technique
, the painters are known as
chitrakars. A patta painter's home with all the members of the family is his studio. Woman members prepare the glue, the canvas and apply colours which we call the fill-in, and give the final lacquer coating. The master hand, mostly the male member, draws the initial line and gives the final finishing touch.
Patta paintings are done on small strips of
cotton cloth. The
canvas is prepared by coating the clothing with a mixture of chalk and gum made from
Guar gum or
tamarind seeds. Then it is rubbed by taking the help of two different stones, and then the cloth is dried. The mixture of gum and
chalk gives the cloth's surface a leathery finish on which the artists paint with vegetable, earth and stone colours.
The painters do not use pencil or charcoal for the preliminary drawings. They are so expert in the line that they simply draw directly with the brush, either in light red or yellow. Then the colours are filled in. The final lines are drawn, and the patta is given a lacquer coating to protect it from the weather, thus making the painting glossy. This process of glazing or varnishing is quite interesting. The painting is held over a fireplace so that the back of the painting is exposed to heat. On the surface of the painting, fine lacquer is applied.
Colour
Pattachitras are painted in five natural colours - Hingula, Haritala, Kala, Sankha and Geru, which are: Vermilion, Green, Black, Pearl White and Brick Orange respectively. There are typical scenes and figures, like Krishna, Gopis, elephants, trees, and other creatures are seen in these paintings. Krishna is always painted in blue and the Gopis in light pink, purple or brown colours.
The painters use vegetable and mineral colours without going for factory-made poster colours. They prepare their own colours.[ natural colours used in Pattachitra ] There was no blue, either cobalt or ultramarine, in the earlier colour schemes. The colours used in the Patta paintings are primarily bright colours, limited to red, yellow, indigo, black and white. The brushes that are used by these 'Chitrakaras' are also indigenous and are made of hair of domestic animals. A bunch of hair tied to the end of a bamboo stick makes the brush.[ colour brushes used in Pattachitra ]
Palm leaf Pattachitra
Palm leaf
pattachitra, which is in the
Odia language language known as
Tala Pattachitra drawn on a palm leaf. First of all, palm leaves are left to harden after being taken from the tree. Then these are sewn together to form like a canvas. The images are traced by using black or white ink to fill grooves etched on rows of equal-sized panels of palm leaf that are sewn together. These panels can also be easily folded like a fan and packed in a compact pile for better conservation. Often, palm-leaf illustrations are more elaborate, obtained by superimposing layers that are glued together for most of the surface, but in some areas can open like small windows to reveal a second image under the first layer.
[ Palm leaf pattachitra] of Kabi Samrata
Upendra Bhanja. Left detail, India, Odisha, late 18th century - Hanuman and Bharata at Nandigrama (verso) - 1979.21.b - Cleveland Museum of Art.]]
Gallery
File:Papier-mâché mask at Odisha Crafts Museum, Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India 01.jpg|Papier-mâché mask of Goddess Kali painted in the Pattachitra idiom, Kala Bhoomi Odisha Crafts Museum, Bhubaneswar.
File:Exhibits at the Odisha Crafts Museum 17.jpg|Wooden Ramalila masks painted in the Pattachitra style, Kala Bhoomi Odisha Crafts Museum, Bhubaneswar.
File:Konark palm leaf manuscript.jpg|Tala Pattachitra, palm leaf painting showing the architectural plan of the Sun Temple of Konark, Odisha.
File:Wooden toys of women at Odisha Crafts Museum, Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India.jpg|Wooden statuettes painted in the Pattachitra style, Kala Bhoomi Odisha Crafts Museum, Bhubaneswar.
File:Wooden torana at Odisha Crafts Museum, Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India 04.jpg|Prabha of Devi Subhadra's Ratha, Puri, Odisha.
File:Narasimha Mural Puri.jpg|Modern wall mural of Narasimha in a street of Puri, Odisha.
Citations
Further reading
External links
