Pata is a Sanskrit derivation which literally means canvas so pata-painting means a scroll painting on canvas. The art of Pata Painting or Chitra is practiced by the artists of Odisha, a state on the Eastern Coast of India. The beginning and roots of this art form are traced to the folk art and wall murals found all over Odisha and West Bengal.
Done by artists who inherited the art from their forefathers, the beauty of Patachitra comes from its simple yet appealing iconography, involvement of the art in rituals of Sri Jagannatha Temple, and the innovation done by the Patachitra artists, who continue to include new themes in the traditional aesthetics of these scroll paintings.
The predecessor to the cloth canvases of Odisha Pattachitra was the palm leaf manuscript, where inscriptions, verses, or hymns were accompanied by miniature etchings, preserved by the learned groups of society and passed down to the artists who drew based on these Taal-Patra Chitra.
The Odisha Pattachitra is the most popular type of cloth painting, renowned as the sacred canvas that hangs in place of Jagannatha, Subhadra, and Balabhadra when the deities of Puri are “sick” and take a rest. This specific type of Odisha Pattachitra is called “Ansar Pata”.
Bengal Patachitra, nurtured by the traveling storytellers of rural and semi-urban centers and artists known as “Patua” in Bengal is another interesting category of Patachitra. Images of Durga, Kali, Ganesha, and folk stories were used by the artists, to evoke devotion and intrigue in the heart of the audience.
Individual centers with their own themes and local varieties emerged within Bengal, such as Medinipur, also known as the “Patachitra Gram” (Patachitra Village), for its distinct cloth paintings. Other styles of Bengal Pata include the Durga Pata (with images of Mahishasuramardini and other aspects of the goddess Durga), Chalachitra (hung behind the idol of the goddess), and Kalighat Pata, a unique style that inspired modern artists like Jaimini Roy.
☀ The painter first chooses two pieces (generally tussah silk) of cloth and he sticks the pieces together by means of a paste prepared from tamarind seeds. They are then dried in the sun.
☀ The tamarind paste is traditionally prepared as follows: The tamarind seeds are first kept in water for two to three days. When the seeds swell and become soft, they are ground with a pestle stone till the formation of a jelly-like substance. In an earthen pot, some water is poured along with this substance which is finally heated into a paste.
☀ The pieces of cloth thus pasted into one become a Patti. The Patti may be of an area of a few square meters. After the Patti is dried it is rolled up and from this roll, pieces of pata are cut and utilized for individual paintings.
☀ The colors are hand-prepared by the artists using natural ingredients like china clay, soft clay(chalk), conch shell, red stone, etc. The black color is prepared from charcoal powder. For white, the artists use sea shells which are available in plenty on the seashores of Odisha, the home of pata paintings.
☀ The sea shells are powdered and the powder is kept mixed with some water for two days. The mixture is stirred properly until it becomes soft and milky. This milky liquid is then heated with the gum of Kaitha fruit (Feromia Elephantum). The paste thus prepared is then dried in the sun to form a solid substance.
☀ Black color is prepared by holding an earthen plate over the smoke of a burning wick. The soot thus collected at the bottom of the plate is thickened to a black substance. This is mixed with the gum of the Kaitha fruit when used as a black color in painting. Green color typically is prepared from the juice of green leaves which is boiled and gum is mixed in the same proportion.
☀ The materials used by these artists are totally of an indigenous character. To unite the colors they utilize wooden bowls made of dried coconut shells. The coarse brush is prepared from the root of a local plant called keya. Hairs of brushes are collected from a buffalo's neck, more fine brushes require the hair of a mouse.
☀ These brushes are fixed to wooden handles. They are usually kept in the quivers made out of a hollow joint of a thick bamboo tree. The brushes may also be sometimes stored in leather cases or in dried pumpkin bowls.
Natural colors, a vivid palette, and curving lines are distinctive features of Odisha Patachitra. Foliage, vegetation, flora, and fauna usually form the backdrop of any subject. Human figures are given stylized bodies and facial features, with accentuated eyes, fine noses, and full lips. Ornamentation and attire depict the local culture and images are outlined by a rich floral border.
The icons of Jagannatha Temple- Krishna as Jagannatha, with his sister Subhadra and Balarama are the traditional and sacred subjects of Odisha Pata paintings. Horizontally laid, the paintings of the trio are synonymous with Odisha Patachitra.
Other themes of the art style include Krishna Lilas, especially based on the devotional verses of Jaideva’s Gita Govinda, where Radha, Krishna, and Gopis are presented with a mix of devotion and romance (Bhakti and Prema). The Dashavatara (ten incarnations of Vishnu), Ratha-Yatra, and folklores surrounding the different forms of Vishnu make up a substantial part of the traditional Odisha Patachitra.
Ganesha Pata, paintings of different aspects of the auspicious Hindu god is also a popular theme in Odisha Patachitras. Image of dancing Ganesha or Nritya Ganapati, Chaturbhuja Ganesha with Lakshmi and Saraswati and Ganesha in one of his sacred 32 forms are usually painted and revered by the people as portable shrines of the Lord.
Iconic aspects of the great goddesses such as Durga, Kali, Lakshmi, Saraswati, and the 10 Mahavidyas, Sapta-Matrika (Seven Mother Goddesses) are also painted by the Patachitra artists, based on their descriptions in the sacred Puranas and texts of Hindu tradition.
It is truly said of these Pata paintings that " Strange is this world of Pata paintings, a world in itself, where every article and ornament keep its unchanging shape, its place and importance, where every animal has its own stylized features, every personality its unerring marks of identification defined by the ancient texts, religious myths, and local tradition.
It is a world of myths and gods, but still more it is a world of folk imagination, the reflection of thinking and of the mental scope of millions of Indian peasants, fishermen, and craftsmen, their joys, their hardships, binding faith, and exacting beauty.
So, the paintings speak the language of their creators, they give realistic expression, clear symbols, and humorous details. They are familiar to the eye, close to the heart, bringing joy and expressing life". Indeed, the immensity of life and the diversity of the divine come together and stand in one in these Pata paintings.
Your email address will not be published *
Email a Friend
Manage Wishlist