Pattachitra
art is a traditional and very important painting or art of Odisha. People of
Odisha are feeling proud for this art. These paintings are based on Hindu
mythology and specially inspired by Lord Jagannath and Vaishnava Dharma (culture). All colors used in the pattachitra Paintings are natural and paintings are made fully old traditional way by
Chitrakaras (Oriya Painter). The Pattachitra style of painting is one of the
oldest and most popular art forms of Odia culture. The name Pattachitra has
evolved from the Sanskrit words patta, which meance canvas, and chitra, meance
picture. By combining, Pattachitra is thus a painting done on canvas, and is
manifested by rich colorful application, creative motifs and designs of Odia
culture , and portrayal of simple themes, mostly mythological in depiction.
The people believe or
worship Lord Jagannath are associated with Vaishnava culture. So apart from Lord Jagannath, most of the themes
of traditional Patta Chitra art are mythological stories from Ramayan and
Mahabharat those are very important holly books in Hindu Dharma (culture) . All
the Patta paintings are indigenously prepared by following a prescribed method
designed by old masters of this pattachitra art. This prescribed method is:-
First taking a piece of cloth then washed and dried it. Then a special
gum prepared from the powder of tamarind seed is used to cover its surface.
Then another piece of cloth of the same size and dimensions used to put over
this cloth before the gum dries up. Then tamarind gum is applied once again on
this piece of cloth. when the gum dries, a powder of soft white stone mixed
with the tamarind seed gum in ideal proportion, is applied on both sides of the
cloth and left this to dry. Then after this, the cloth is polished with a
smooth pebble which made smooth to make it suitable for doing painting on it.
By this way many arts can be made by these artists. This apttachitra art
made on coconut shell is very much appreciated
by peoples. Actually these arts are very much good in making useful and
attractive art pieces by using very simple things, this coconut shell
pattachitra is a very good example of
it. Coconut shell are very ordinary thing but for this art, the pries of this
ordinary things are increases. Paintings of Lord Jagannath and other painting
done on a coconut shell are very much liked by peoples and they like to
purchase it. So day by day the demand of this art is increasing.
