Pattachitra Art

The origin of the Pattachitra paintings can be traced back to the 8th century AD and it is considered as one of the earliest forms of indigenous paintings. Pattachitra or painting on cloth is among the most distinct forms of traditional painting in Orissa, and were generally created in the form of scrolls. The iconic paintings depict religious themes. The Pattachitra has its roots in the schematic paintings of the Jagannath Temple as an important art form used in the ornamentation of Lord Jagannath in the innermost sanctum. The traditional colors used in the Pattachitra are obtained from natural sources. The Palm Leaf scrolls – ‘Talapatrachitra’ started out as an ancient method of documentation that evolved over time to become recognised as a cherished art form. The word ‘Talapatrachitra’ is derived from the Sanskrit words ‘tala’ for palm, ‘patra’ for leaf and ‘chitra’ meaning illustration. These palm leaf paintings beautifully depict mythological and religious themes from epics like the Ramayana, Mahabharata and renderings of Lord Jaganath. The scroll paintings are made on dried palm leaves that have been treated for over 3 months. They are then soaked in water for days and treated with a solution of turmeric, ensuring the long life of the palm leaves and the painting. Unlike regular paintings, a sharp pointed iron tool is used to etch the drawing on the brittle surface of the leaf, making sure the leaf does not break. The colour black, used in these scrolls is prepared from soot from an oil lamp. Other traditional colours used in some of these scrolls are derived from natural sources. Once the drawing is inscribed, lamp black is rubbed all over the leaf and then cleaned, imparting a fine black colour to the carved lines, while the rest of the surface stays clean. The artists on occasion, give it a stencil like appearance. This requires a great deal of accuracy and skill, as the palm leaf is brittle and has reversing grains interfering with a smooth usage of the cutting blade. Such beautifully carved cut outs add to the intricacy of the painting giving it a fine, lace like appearance. The scroll is prepared with two layers that are stuck together and a few such strips are interlaced together with a thread, that compresses into a folded scroll.