Everything You Need to Know about Pattachitra
India is home to various kinds of ancient and habitual art forms, and the Pattachitra is one among them. Pattachitra is a kind of ancient painting that is done on cloth materials. The origin of this art form dates back to thousands of years ago. The birthplace of Pattachitra is the Indian state of Odisha.
A Brief Overview of Pattachitra
The Pattachitra painting has been inspired by the Hindu Mythology and is mainly based upon on the Jagannath and Vaishnava religious group. The Odia craftsmen make the Pattachitra paintings in the old conventional manner, by making use of natural colours. The term 'Patta' implies canvas and the term 'Chitra’ implies painting. So, Pattachitra paintings are done on canvas materials and are represented by colourful pictures and mesmerizing designs.
The History of Pattachitra Paintings
The roots of the Pattachitra painting lie in the 5th century BC. The paintings are the same as the paintings done on the walls of the religious structures present in the cities of Odisha, including Puri, Konark, and Bhubaneswar. The places famous for the traditional Patttachitra paintings are – Puri, Raghurajpur, Chikiti, Sonepur, and Paralakhemundi. Pattachitra was initially used for worshipping deities when the temple doors were closed because of a ritual bath hour of the gods.
Themes of Pattachitra Painting
The lines of the Pattachitra painting are clear, angular, sharp, and bold. The painters (popularly known as Chitrakara in the Odia language) only make close-up views because there are not any detailed backgrounds. All the occurrences are generally viewed in just a single combination. The backgrounds usually showcase red colour with patterns of trees and flowers. The paintings feature unique and attractive borders. They generally showcase Lord Jagannath in the avatar of Lord Krishna. The paintings elaborate the religious stories and folktales of Radha-Krishna and Balabhadra-Subhadra. Some of the paintings even depict the ten beautiful avatars of Lord Vishnu from the Hindu epics, such as Mahabharata and Ramayana. Attires of the Pattachitra characters showcase Mughal effects. The characters have well-defined body languages. The different categories of the Pattachitra are:
- Jagannath Paintings
- Ramayana Paintings
- Bhagabat Paintings
- Vaishnav Paintings
- Legend’s Paintings
- Shakta Paintings
- Saiva Paintings
- Bandha Chitras
- Raga Chitras
Method to Design Pattachitra
The Pattachitra painters usually turn their house into a studio. The family’s male members draw the fundamental outlines of the Pattachitra paintings, while the female members help by filling up designs and colours in the background of the paintings. The final touch is usually given by the male members of the family.
While doing the outlines of the pattachitra paintings, the painters do not use pencil or charcoal. They rather make use of paintbrush directly. The outlines are usually drawn in red or yellow colour. The pattachitra painting is done on cotton cloths. The female painters mix chalk and gum together and apply the amalgam with the help of two stones in order to achieve a leathery finish. Coating with lacquer incorporates shine and offers protection against bad weather conditions. The painters hold the paintings' opposite side over a fire for making it resistant to heat and achieving a fine gloss.
Use of Natural and Hand-made Colors
The Pattachitra painters make use of natural colours only. These colours are extracted from minerals and vegetables. The paintbrushes are made from animal hairs. The painters usually extract hair from their domestic animals and make a bunch out of them. The bunch is attached to a bamboo stick.
The painters use the colour blue for painting Lord Krishna and purple, light brown, and pink for painting the Gopis. Natural colours are usually made up of the naturally occurring materials mentioned below:
- Black colour: Burnt coconut shell
- Blue or Indigo colour: Ramaraja
- Yellow colour: Haritala
- Red colour: Hingula
- White colour: Conch shells
With the help of these fundamental colours, the painters make eye-catching and alluring paintings. They make the paintings appealing by their brilliant expertise of drawing outlines.
Pattachitra Paintings on Palm Leaves
Pattachitra paintings on palm leaves are popularly called Tala Pattachitra in the Odia language. The process of making Tala Pattachitra is simple to understand. First, palm leaves are extracted from the palm trees. These leaves are dried in the sun so that they become hard. Hardened leaves are then highlighted using white and black colours and sewn up together. The artists craft the coloured palm leaves through various ways for managing them better.
Pattachitra is a magnificent and creative art form. It would always remain as an important mark of the Odia civilization.
