Odisha Pattachitra

What is Odisha Pattachitra?

Pattachitra is cloth painting from Odisha, closely tied to the Jagannath temple at Puri. Artists build a stiff cloth ground, paint in mineral and natural colours, and finish with lacquer. Subjects are mainly Jagannath, Krishna and epic stories.

Who makes it, and where?

Made by the chitrakar community of Odisha, with the finest work reported in and around Puri, especially Raghurajpur village. Bhubaneswar and Konark are also named as centres.

Age. A government catalogue dates it to the 12th century; another government source calls its origins unclear

How is it made?

Materials. Old cotton cloth layered with tamarind-seed gum and chalk, polished with stones. Colours come from conch shell, stone, red earth, lamp soot and minerals. Brushes use animal hair on bamboo; coconut shells hold paint. A lac or lacquer coat finishes the surface.

The sequence

1. Layer old cloth with tamarind-seed gum, dry it, and coat with gum and chalk.
2. Polish the surface with stones, then sketch a border and the figures.
3. Paint the red background first, then colour the figures.
4. Add white ornaments, then thick black outlines, then fine finishing lines.
5. Touch up defects, then lacquer the surface for shine and protection.

What do you see in it?

• Red background with figures in flat colour
• Thick black outlines with fine finishing lines
• Floral, dot and geometric borders
• Symmetrical compositions with rhythmic detail

What does it mean?

Paintings were made for temple ritual and as souvenirs for pilgrims to Puri. Body colours of deities follow prescribed rules. One source says paintings stood in for the deities while the temple was closed for a ritual bath.

How is it practised today?

Pattachitra continues in Raghurajpur and is adapted to home decor, saris, cushion covers, wall plates and painted objects. Some artists now divide the cloth into grids, with a main scene in the central square.

Protection. A news report states Pattachitra received a Geographical Indication in 2008 (listed as Orissa Pattachitra). Registry entry itself was not opened.

How can you learn from it with respect?

• Do not copy. Do not reproduce Jagannath, Balabhadra and Subhadra imagery for casual decoration, nor change the colours given to deities. Do not copy named artists' compositions, or imply temple endorsement or ritual authenticity.
• Credit. Name the chitrakar and village, for example 'Pattachitra by [name], Raghurajpur, Odisha', and state whether your work is inspired by it rather than by a chitrakar.
• Support the makers. Buy from named chitrakars, cooperatives or registered artisans at Raghurajpur or through state handicraft channels. A GI means the name should be used for authentic Odisha work.
• The principle you can learn. A prepared, polished ground and a fixed order of layers, from flat colour to outline to detail, makes careful finishing part of the design process.

Sources

1. Orissa Pattachitra Development Commissioner (Handicrafts), Ministry of Textiles
2. Pattachitra: an indigenous technique Orissa Review, Government of Odisha
3. Pattachitra (Paramparik Karigar) Ministry of Textiles, Paramparik Karigar
4. Tribes India GI products listing (PIB document) Press Information Bureau, Government of India
5. Odisha artist gets GI certificate for his unique Pattachitra painting ETV Bharat (news, used for GI year)