Origin & Evolution
“Pattachitra”, the word originated from two Sanskrit words ‘PATTA’ and ‘CHITRA’, meaning cloth and pictures respectively. Hence, Pattachitra art means a picture painted on a piece of cloth. This is an ancient cultural artwork, practised basically in Eastern India, particularly in Odisha and Bengal. Pattachitra history can be traced back over thousand years with murals from the 5th century BCE. Typically, this tribal artwork depicts religious rituals and stories of the gods.
Theme & vogue
Pattachitra is primarily painted on an oversewn canvas with made & bright colours principally red, yellow & blue. The design could be an element of Bengal narrative art and a memento of the pilgrims of Odisha. It’s an art, which is eco-friendly, as all the colours are sourced organically and naturally.
These are created by powdering stones. Hingula- is employed to form red colour, Harital is employed to create Yellow and Khandaneela are accustomed to making blue. These colours are accustomed to building completely different colours. The 5 main colours have significance within the main painting of the god Jagannath and are referred to as Panch-Tatva. Different colours signify a different Rasa for each character of the story. Hasya, or laughter, is delineated in white; Raudra, or furious, is in red; and Adbhuta, or amazement in yellow.
The colours are emulsified in wood bowls fabricated from coconut shells, and Fine brushes are fabricated from mouse hair. Buffalo hair and keya root are employed to form coarse brushes. A special sharp, pointed, iron needle is employed to print the drawings onto the palm leaves. A unique aspect of this art form is that it is not just that the paintings are presented, but the artists also sing songs to describe the events depicted.
History of the Art
Over the years the Artwork has evolved in numerous aspects. The art of Pattachitra in Odisha has closely based on Hindu mythology and specially inspired by Jagannath and Vaishnava sect. On the other hand, the Patachitra of Bengal is generally mythological, spiritual stories, folks mental object and social.
Initially, it was called ‘Anasar Patti’. Pattachitra drawings were at the start done on palm leaves, cloth/canvas and walls however currently chitrakars have conjointly created wall hangings and showpieces. The history of patachitra painting is joined inextricably with the history of the Jagannath cult. The ones who painted these ancient artworks were apprehended as Chitrakars in Odisha and patua in Bengal. Chitrakars conjointly began employing a sort of non-religious themes in their paintings.
Sonajuri Arts – For the continuance of “Pattachitra Paintings” – 50% OFF for next 2 weeks
Sonajuri Arts is in the path of taking the measure to preserve and protect the Pattachitra Art. We took this as high time that traditional artforms should be reserved and spread awareness about them in urban spaces.
We believe that traditional art has to evolve to be able to sustain in the market and spread the knowledge, importance & history. And Sonajuri Arts have been doing a lot to spread awareness about the art form, not only across the country but also internationally. We are trying to provide artists (chitrakars) a platform to promote their arts outside the state making it easy and accessible for people to learn.
Sonajuri Arts’ main motive is to bring up the traditional art and culture of ancient India. It also goals to bring up the artists and their families to get a better lifestyle which they deserve. Due to industrialization, all these artists are finding alternate ways of income, to avoid this Sonajuri art is providing them with a platform where they can, not only show their art but also represent them in front of a larger audience. To know more about Pattachitra products and the art form, visit our website : https://sonajuriarts.com/
