What is Pattachitra Art From Odisha That Portrays Krishna Leela Through Natural Materials?

India has a unique history and tradition of various art forms that form the crux of our culture. We have told stories, tales and epics through art. Odisha, like other states, has its own contribution to the art in India. One art form from the coastal state is Pattachitra. It is painted on cloth following a traditional process of preparation of the canvas and portrays the tales of Krishna Leela and Jaggannath Dev.

How is Pattachitra made?

First, the base is prepared by coating the cloth with the soft, white, stone powder of chalk and glue made from tamarind seeds. This gives the cloth tensile strength and a smooth, semi-absorbent surface, allowing it to absorb the paint. The drawings are not made with charcoal or pencils and it is a tradition to complete the borders of the painting first. A rough sketch is made directly with the brush using light red and yellow. The main flat colours white, red, yellow, and black are applied next. The painter then finishes the painting with fine stokes of black brush lines, giving the effect of pen work. When the painting is completed it is held over a charcoal fire and lacquer is applied to the surface. This makes the painting water-resistant and durable.

What materials are used for the painting?

The materials used in the paint are from vegetable, soil, and natural sources. Black is made out of lampblack, yellow from haritala stone, and red from shingle stone. White is prepared from crushed, boiled, and filtered shells. The subject matter of the Pattachitras includes religious, mythological, and folk themes. Krishna Leela and Lord Jagannath are depicted through the paintings.

The Pattachitra artists also paint their themes on wooden boxes, on bowls, on tussar silk, on outer shells of the coconut, and on wooden doors. They also paint wooden toys based on animals and birds portrayed in the paintings. Chitra-pothies are a collection of painted palm leaves stacked on top of each other and are used to illustrate mythological themes. Pattachitra paintings were traditionally drawn by the Mahapatra or maharanas, the original artist community in Odisha.