Stories of the Dead The scroll paintings of jharkhand.
Stories of the Dead (A craft document on pyatker paintings of jharkhand.)
CONTENTS 1.
Introduction
2.
Preface
3.
Jharkhand
4.
The past
5. Ways of life 6.
Techniques and Raw Materials
7.
Form, Content and Style
8.
Santhal Tribe Myths
9.
Stories
10. Chitrakars 11. NGO and Government 12. Conclusion 13. Acknowledgement 14. Glossary 15. Bibliography
Preface Craft document is a course which is part of the second design project of the textile curriculum at National Institute of Design. The course content includes Situating the craft in a larger context. How it can be used to interpret ways of life, deep connections between older way of life and local ecology, social issues etc. Based on the existing published material on the craft and aspects which are yet remain to be detailed out, compared, traced back into past and cultural meanings are interpreted. For many years, the crafts of Pyatkar paintings have gone unnoticed by the craft revivalists in big cities and the local state governments, be it Bihar government earlier of Jharkhand government now. With time it may be forgotten. The artisans have stopped practicing the traditional methods. Those who practice have diluted the traditions to their own comfort. According to them this allows more acceptability in the modern society. Since one of us is from the region, we were keen to understand why such rich crafts are fading away with time. To discover the reasons and the evolution of stories about the craft and ways of life in the regions of Jharkhand. To understand a craft practice it is equally important to know the lives of the retired artisans and the existing artisans. This also gives an opportunity to let their work speak through the document, so that it can be appreciated and revived. The field work was meant to make us witness the present scenarios. We had to build a rapport with locals in the villages,
listening to stories, understanding the craft through the live experiences of the chitrakaars. The method we adapted of research was spending the whole day and interacting and interviewing the people of Amadubi village. Thus whole day would be spent with them and in accordance with their style of life. We could experience the hardship of their lives and the significance of the craft in their lives. Simultaneously, compiling detailed case studies, crafts men profiles, interviews accompanied with a personal journal to capture realisations, findings and experiences of the field trip. The chapters in the publication will reflect the evolution of the craft, revealing the local traditions, along with details about the craftsman, his techniques, equipments and motif behind the creation of the art piece. There is not much information available on the area of this craft, and also not much research has been conducted by students or other authorities around the India or Jharkhand itself. Only, recently an NGO has been introduced to bring back the craft. The purpose of this document is to raise awareness about the craft and not let it fade away in the fogs of Jharkhand, using the mood of appreciation to inform; Jharcraft - a government of Jharkahand undertaking, Jharkhand department of tourism and INTACH - heritage craft and community. And to motivate the artisans to work more and inspire the younger generation. Simultaneously, attract tourists and locals with the exciting stories of the Pyatkar paintings.
Introduction For a pyatkar painter, each stone has its own colour story to reveal, Layer by layer, as each colour is derived from the stone,the palette is formed and each scroll is painted, to be later unrolled and narrated. Pyatkar is a languishing form of traditional story telling. Its practitioners inhabit the East singhbhum region of Jharkhand.It was traditionally narrated on the occasion of death in the family of a local tribal, in this case the santhals. Death is inevitable. Those who lost their loved ones were left to remorse and wonder what happened. It could have been someone’s young son or someone’s mother, everyone would wonder where did they go after they died. Many had their unfulfilled desires or some must have had dreams, maybe some didn’t even know. But, the traditions of the Pyatkar paintings consoled the ones who lost their loved ones and portrayed a satisfactory story of the journey of the departed soul. The Pyatkar artists are known ‘Chitrakaars’, who were once Nomads, after settling in Jharkhand sixty years ago, they have developed this art of scroll painting that has been used for generations in storytelling performances and in socio-religious customs. Initially, the paintings used to portray a theme of human life after death, where the painting would narrate the story of the departed soul for the satisfaction of family members. But the arrival of media, such as radio and television seems to have affected the demand for their art. Also, exposure to modern way of life and education dissuaded their patron group from continuing these ritual performances on occasion of death in the family. However, with time ‘Chitrakaars’ started feeling embarrassed of this form of art, they felt it evoked negativity and brought degradation within the society, soon they started denying that such art form even existed. . Jyotindra Jain mentions that, ‘Beliefs, practices and terminologies associated with the ritual context of some of the painted panels and scrolls of storytellers, reveal that these not only serve as visual aids to stories narrated but have the status of a sacred object or shrine. A painting which was once an integral part of the santhal and the chitrakar community has now lost all its importance. With advancement in education and influence from modernization many people stopped believing in this custom, hence the practice of the pyatkar painting reduced. Simultaneously, they started shifting from the idea of painting life after death to create painting themes based on
festivals, folk stories or human life. Fortunately, this kept the technique alive but the main intention is the craft practice to reveal the afterlife through imagination and dreams of the artisan vanished. Pyatkar paintings depict native culture of the state using natural colours:’kala(black),geru(brown), nila(blue), haro(green), pilo(yellow) derived from the plants and leaves found in the local surroundings. Stones from Subandrekha river were also used to create paint. Before, the availability of modern resources such as manufactured paper, artisans used to paint on dry palm leaves or any locally available material which could absorb the paint. The fact that artisans were inclined towards nature portrayed their appreciation, sensitivity and connection with ‘Dharti mata’ (Mother Nature). They ‘chitrakars’ believed that nature has all the answers; it is their living support for survival and a platform from where they drew inspiration from initially. Many of them practiced the ‘Manasa pooja’ and believed it made them powerful. It freed people from the constraints of time, place, and resources and contributed to the growth of devotional theism and spiritual practices. By internalizing the same processes that were hidden in the ritual model and mentally visualizing them in all details, the seers found a better way to communicate with gods and make their prayers heard. On the other hand, many misused this practice and ability to paint as a medium to earn money. In contrast, one can say they had no other option as people did not have many jobs to feed families in the village. Traditionally, this craft practice is undertaken by men. The women made the natural paints and collected the ingredients. However, with time women were allowed to paint, by watching the men, so they have also managed to master the art of painting. This has proved to be more convenient as a livelihood. Being nomadic, the ‘Chitrakars’ did not have a caste system, jobs were equally divided amongst men and women. Until the 1940s the entire Pyatkar community practised the craft, however currently only two artisans use the traditional techniques of painting but not the themes. Unfortunately, the craft is fading and has no popularity within the patron community, the santhals. In order, to support and pause extinction of the craft, one NGO, Kala mandir, located in Jamshedpur is working towards the upliftment of the village by introducing tourist attractions. Their efforts are directed to promote Pyatkar paintings and raise their standards of living in Amadubi village.
DHALBHUMGHAR
Jharkhand Jharkhand is a state in eastern India carved out of the southern part of Bihar on 15 November 2000. The state shares its border with the states of Bihar to the north, Uttar Pradesh to the northwest, Chhattisgarh to the west, Odissa to the south, and West Bengal to the east. Ninety percent of the Scheduled Tribes in Jharkhand live in the Bihar districts including the tribal people, who are from the two groups, of Chotanagpurs and the Santhals. Jharkhand is mountainous and heavily forested and has evergreen forests, rolling hills and rocky plateaus with many places of keen beauty. The region is India's primary source of coal and iron. Also Jharkhand, much like Chattisgarh and Uttaranchal, is endowed with adequate forest cover.These forests are home to two species of trees - Arjuna (Terminalia Arjuna) and Asan (Terminalia Tomentosa) Which are breeding ground for the moth which produces the cocoon from which Tasar yarn is reeled
In Jharkhand, there are 24 districts in which the Purbi Singhbhum district is situated at the southeast corner of Jharkhand. It has been formed after isolating nine block from old Singhbhum on 16th January 1990. The district is covered by dense forest on the northern side and the Subernarekha river flows from west to south-east direction. It also shares its boundaries with west bengal and orissa.
The Past PYATKAR COMMUNITY PYATKAR PAINTINGS PERFORMANCE
The Past: Pyatkar community : Pyatkar paintings : Performance
Pyatkar community In the historical trace, it has been found that Pyatkar artists were initially called ‘Gayen’ and eventually they began to use the surname as ‘chitrakars’. This surname transformation happened when Dhabaldev, the king of Ghatsila invited pyatkar artists to perform,initially the Pyatkar’s were known for their singing therefore they were referred to as Gayen. Dhalbaldev (time period to be mentioned) was so pleased by the painting of pyatkars that he rewarded them with a piece of land for the practice of their art and since then the pyatkars were known for their painting and hence the surname chitrakar took over.
The main road of the village, where there is shelter made of tarpaulin.
The community gathers with their neighbours to listen to stories.
The Past: Pyatkar community : Pyatkar paintings : Performance
Pyatkar Paintings The most famous and important theme of the traditional painting has been life after death. Pyatkar paintings had a great importance in the Santhal tribe of Jharkhand. According to their traditional belief, the paintings had the capacity to send the wandering souls of the dead to heaven, and thus, helped to free them from all their pain. When there was a death in any santhal family, these chitrakars would visit the house and show the man of the house a picture of the spirit of the departed person without the iris of the eye. They would tell him that the departed soul is wandering and that the soul is unable to see without the iris of the eye and they could restore the vision in return of the payment. Once they received the payment, the chiyrakars would perform the 'Chakshudana' i.e. restoration of the eyes by filling in the iris of the eyes on the painting.
15 cm
10 cm
The Past: Pyatker community : Pyatkar paintings : Performance
Performance The tradition of Paintings still continues however the performance has vanished. Kavita Singh describes every detail of how the performance took place, ‘In the market, at the bus stop, or in the courtyard of somebody’s house, he suddenly stops. Squatting, he pulls out one of the rolls from his bag. It is a scroll of paintings…Song follows song, scroll follows scroll in quick succession, the chitrakar displaying, image by lively image, his cloth-and-paper scrolls and chanting his brief songs.’ While narrating the stories the scroll is unfolded vertically and the drama emerges gradually. In the Rajasthani pad the whole scroll is spread horizontally and is at once opened fully and the performer stands infront of the relevant painting and indicating it with the help of a lamp. However the Chitrakars use a different technique for opening the scroll, he unfolds the scroll gradually as the story is chanted with songs in santhali which they compose themselves. At both ends of the scroll two bamboo sticks are attached. The chitrakar holds the upper stick with the left hand while pointing the episode with the right hand. Then he rolls up the portion of the scroll depicting episodes that have already been narrated on the upper stick and uncovers the next ones. One story performance would last approximately ten minutes. Their performance was their art. Narrating stories, playing music, singing songs and gathering an audience is a form of art which only the chitrakars were capable of doing.
Women and children gathering up to watch the performance
Chitrakars narrating stories to near by villagers.
Ways of life OCCUPATION SOCIAL STRUCTURE HABITATION CLOTHING MARRIAGE EDUCATION LEISURE FOOD FOR LIFE COMMUNICATION AND LANGUAGE
Ways of life : Occupation : Social Structure : Habitation : Education : Food For life : Clothing : Marriage : Communication and Language : Leisure
Occupation Being Nomadic, the Chitrakars traveled from village to village and gave their performances for which they were paid in cash or kind. The other means of livelihood practiced by them included cultivating a piece of land or piercing nose and ears. Besides this they also visited homes, which were recently visited by death with a picture of the deceased complete in every aspect except for the pupil of the eyes. They also carried with them other paintings showing objects like utensils, clothes, cows, goats, chickens, ornaments and money. Once they reach the house of the deceased they evaluated the resources of the family and based on their judgment took out the pictures stating that their loved one is wandering in the other world without a sight and they could restore the vision in return of the objects indicated in the picture. Now, chitrakars started painting for NGO’s such as Kalamandir. instead of going from village to village for an audience, now they wait for the audience to come to them because their village has now become a tourist centre. Anil Chitrakar narrating his stories to tourists at Amadubi village.
Tourists at Amadubi village come to understand the paintings and listen to the stories narrated by the chitrakars
Ways of life : Occupation : Social Structure : Habitation : Education : Food For life : Clothing : Marriage : Communication and Language : Leisure
Social Structure The chitrakar community is organized on patriarchal lines. The head of the family is the eldest male member and descent is reckoned through the male line. Similarly in Amadubi village, the sarpanch is a selected male member of the community. The chitrakars have been nomads and have a different way of perceiving things compared to the modern way of living today, which divides roles of work and life styles of people. They earned their livelihood by wandering from village to village singing the stories depicted. They traveled carrying with them the bag of scrolls. At the age of 19, the chitrakars earned their livelihood. In contrast, the nomads, adapted to their environment which constantly changed as they had been migrating for many years, this did not segregate tasks, differentiating men and women roles. Everyone worked equally, mostly focusing on how to survive and get things done in the most efficient and simplest manner. A mother taking care of her children; washing their hands using water collected from the common water pump in the village.
Men in the village coming back from the fields for lunch at home.
Ways of life : Occupation : Social Structure : Habitation : Education : Food For life : Clothing : Marriage : Communication and Language : Leisure
Habitation After years of migrating, in 1940 the chitrakaars finally settled in Amadubi village in Jharkhand. Amadubi village has approximately fifty houses in total. The village is located in the East Singhbhum district of Jharkhand. The neighboring villages, Berha, Uparsoli, and Chakdipada are about three kilometers away from Amadubi.
Being nomad, chitrakars did not have much accumulated wealth, but had developed ways of survival in Amadubi village. The houses are constructed using minimal and cheap material - whatever was available locally - like mud blocks, tarpaulins and random waste such as bottle tops and broken mirrors to decorate the house. In a one bedroom house, they live a very basic life where only their essential needs are fulfilled, that to, after lots of efforts. They entire family usually spends most of their time outside the house therefore they have a strong social bonding, they only go inside the house to sleep, cook or paint (sometimes).
A small corridor in the house which is Sondha Chitrakars kitchen.
Ways of life : Occupation : Social Structure : Habitation : Education : Food For life : Clothing : Marriage : Communication and Language : Leisure
Education With growing influence of the urban society, the families had only heard about the concept of going to school. Education in Indian villages has always been one of the pillars of the society, Amadubi village has one primary school which was set up in 2003 under the scheme of ‘Sarv shiksha abhiyan’. The elementary education of eight years has also been made compulsory and free for the children in the villages by the Government department of school education and literacy. The school is a co-educational school and the school infrastructure allows students to study in a well arranged classroom and also practice sport like football in the fields. Children are taught various subjects including the languages, mathematics, science subjects, arts subjects, agricultural subjects, housekeeping subjects, etc. However the children are still not fortunate enough to go to secondary school due to unavailability of secondary education. But there are some lucky children whose parents can now afford sending them to nearby towns such as, Ghatsila and Chakula for secondary education.
There are around one hundred and fifty students who go to school. Children from nearby villages also go to the same school because they don’t have a school in their village. For every thirty children there is one teacher therefore there are approximately only five teachers in the school, due to lack of teachers, children are usually seen playing in the school premises.
Ways of life : Occupation : Social Structure : Habitation : Education : Food For life : Clothing : Marriage : Communication and Language : Leisure
Food for Life As per the government records the level of poverty is at its highest in Jharkhand. Majority of the population is living at a subsistence level. The staple food of Amadubi is parboiled rice, a meal consists of rice, daal, atleast two different types of sabzi and bengan bada (fried brinjal).The chitrakars have three meals per day and between each meal they have light snacks such as roasted nuts. The chitrakars live in a non vegetation prevalent area, therefore they eat everything that mother nature has provided them with; roasted rats, chatho (mushroom), kadhi pata (sweet leaves), bel (wood apple), shejan (drum sticks) and sojna (drumstick flowers).Living with the forest they have learned to use every resource of it. They have learned the art of living from their ancestors.
Anil chitrakar having lunch with his sister-in-law in the small corridor of their house.
A lunch meal which includes parboiled rice and a variety of vegetable curries.
Ways of life : Occupation : Social Structure : Habitation : Education : Food For life : Clothing : Marriage : Communication and Language : Leisure
Clothing The ‘chitrakaar’ community, based on K.S Singh’s research, says that the women wear shakha paula (conch-shell bangles), jhuntia (toe-rings) and vermillion as a symbol of marriage. Nowadays in the place of shakha paula , the weekly markets now supply them with colourful plastic glass bangles. The use of cow-tail hairs by women in tying their hair has been replaced by colourful ribbons purchased from visiting peddlers. Signs of change are also visible in their dress-codes. Today, chitrakars wear durable and fashionable clothes like others. Women usually drape a plain saree, which was initially worn without a blouse. The use of dhoti and lungi is popular among older people whereas the chitrakars relatively younger ages like to wear shirts, trousers and Bermuda shorts.
The traditional saree worn by chitrakar women at Amadubi village.
Water colour illustrations of men and women at work in Amadubi village.
A kurta and dhoti worn by men in the village to keep themselves cool. Mostly they wear cotton because it is the most comfortable material for them.
Ways of life : Occupation : Social Structure : Habitation : Education : Food For life : Clothing : Marriage : Communication and Language : Leisure
Marriage Vermilion is one of the most essential symbol of marriage in the chitrakar community. In this tribal culture of marriage, dowry is given in cash and kind and as most communities in India, after marriage, the wife goes to live in her husband’s house. Daughters leave the family and sons inherit the parental property, while succession devolves upon the eldest son. Moreover, divorced men and women, widows and widowers can remarry, this shows how the chitrakar community is openW to the cycle of life and realise the importance of keeping the family ongoing for generations. The most crucial marriage rituals are malabadal, subhadrishti, sinduran and yagna.
Ways of life : Occupation : Social Structure : Habitation : Education : Food For life : Clothing : Marriage : Communication and Language : Leisure
Communication and Language The most common language spoken by the ‘chitrakaar’ is ‘Bangla’, however, the elderly who had been nomads before settling into Jharkhand have slight influence of other dialects from places they have lived in before. Living at the cliff of the state there is a great influence of the neighboring states (West Bengal and Orissa).Most young chitrakars can now speak, read and write in hindi because of the educational exposure given by the government for example, primary schools set up in the village. And very few chitrakars can now understand some commonly used english words such as, good, thank you, and bye. This is because of the exposure they got from kalamandir during exhibitions and craft fairs.
Ways of life : Occupation : Social Structure : Habitation : Education : Food For life : Clothing : Marriage : Communication and Language : Leisure
Leisure Chitrakars did not have many options for leisure, so on some days most of them would gather in the evening and sing in groups, or follow a leader. Sometimes, if they discovered someone who had a good voice would sing for the crowd. They would play instruments such as khamak, harmonium and dhol.
And every week the chitrakar goes to the Subandrekha river to catch big fish and sometimes they would catch small fish from the streams and ponds near the village.
Every week the chitrakar would go searching for fresh mushrooms which grow under trees near his house. He would bring back the mushrooms and his wife would cook the mushrooms for the next meal.
Khamak - one-headed drum with a string attached to it, which is plucked.
Anil Chitrakar playing the Khamak in the open space outside his house
Techniques and Raw Materials
COLOR MAKING
Techniques and Raw Materials : Colour Making
Colour Making The pyatkar artists mainly use natural materials for their paintings which reflects the dependence of their paintings on nature. Way back in the 5th century BC they used palm leaves as a base of the art much like what we get to see of the patachitras of Odissa. But at some point when they gained easy access to locally available paper, they have replaced the delicate palm leaves. They have generally used handmade paper and now they use any paper which is locally available in the market. The paper is further straightened by mounting on used cotton clothes for background support of the painting. Today they use water-based colours derived from nature. The colour palette of chitrakaars mainly consists of primary colours; red, yellow and blue. The colours are made from sedimentary stones which are found in Subernarekha river. The stones have several sediments which are layered and each layer gives a different colour. The stone pieces are crushed and rounded with the help of a stone slab which is used in a similar manner as a mortar and pestle. The rock is rubbed against the stone slab, a few drops of water are added for making the colour paste. More water is added to the paste, it is collected using a cloth which soaks it. This is then squeezed and collected in a small coconut shell which is then balanced on a bethni to keep the cocnut shell steady. To make the colours long lasting the chitrakars mix gums of neem, bamboo and bel (wood apple). Other than these, there are other colours which are acquired from flowers and fruits. Brushes are made up of the tender hairs from the tail of goat; these hairs are tied with a thin slender bamboo stick with the help of threads. It is a matter of wonder of how the chitrakars bring out such delicate lines of precision and finish with the help of these crude brushes.
Techniques and Raw Materials : Colour Making
Form, Content and Style
Form, Content and Style
There are two kinds of paintings: Patau and Jadu patau. Jadu patau is a variable of pyatkar painting. according to Roma Chatterji jadu pataus unlike the patas from other parts of Bengal still have ritual significance. they depict the origin myths of the santhals and are supposed to be imbued with magical properties. There are three types of pats: Jarano which is rolled, chaukosh which is a square or rectangular, Kalighat, the jadu pata which is the ‘magical’ pat also known as chakshudan translating to ‘gift of eyes’. The male performers are of Bengali origin but operate mainly in the tribal villages where they show their collection of scroll paintings in return of some gifts such as; utensils, clothes, cows, goats, chickens, ornaments and money. These paintings reflect many realities of day to day human life, legends and mythologies of their society. The historical lineage of the pyatkar painting can be traced to culture associated with the state of west bengal. The artist has a strong awareness of their surroundings and this is reflected in the contemporary images. They use to paint social issues and stories to create awareness among the people.
Form, Content and Style
The figures are dramatic yet realistic and symmetrical.It is rare to see such talent without formal training and in free hand painting. The sense of composition is very strong, the lack of knowledge of perspective does not allow a drawback in the scrolls. Roma Chatterji states ‘the scroll painters follow a synoptic mode of representation, using figural types and standard motifs, which ask the viewers to use their imagination to fill in the story in their own way.
The form depicts the elements of art and the principles of design that the artists use. The content reflects the portrayal of what the artist is trying to show and the audience react to both intended and the actual message. The figures are dramatic yet realistic and symmetrical.It is rare to see such talent without formal training and in free hand painting. The forms are created with thick black contour line. The human characters occupy most part of the painted space and are sometimes present in profile or sometimes in semi-profile. The eyes are elongated which reflect the characteristic of indian painting style for over centuries. The painted face came through much later during the mid 20th century. The spontaneous lines drawn by paitkar have an angularity and and anatomical details are not very defined. The paitkar paintings contain of robust sensuality. Usually the artist prefer simple outlines and representational lines to paint, to eliminate the shading the artists gives attention on simplification of volume and colours. the emphasis of thick lines are used to make the form apparent.
A panel showing a dead ancestor of the Santhals wandering around sightless. The belief is that his eyesight could be restored if he gave alms to the chitrakars. image © Marg publications, Picture Showmen - Insights into the Narrative Tradition in India Art
The Santhal
The Santhal
The Santhal Tribe is the third largest tribe of India; the tribe habitation is mainly in the states of West Bengal, Bihar, Odissa, Jharkhand and Assam. They belong to the pre – Aryan period. Music and dance are most important form of the santhali festivals. Santhals follow the Sarna religion. Their God and Goddess are Marangbura, Jaheraera and Manjhi. They pay respect to the ghosts and spirits like Kal Singh, Lakchera and Beudarang. Santhals have a village priest known as the Naiki and Shaman Ujha. In this tribe animal sacrifice to the Gods is common to appease the Gods and Goddesses. They do not believe in erecting temples, churches or mosques as the places of worship. They hold natural objects like forests, hills and rivers to be the best abode of gods and spirits. The occupation of santhals revolves around the forests in which they reside. Their basic needs are fulfilled from the trees and plants of the forest. They are also engaged in hunting, fishing and cultivation for their livelihood. They possess unique skills in making musical instruments, mats, baskets and jhadu’s (broomstick). Santhali is the prime language spoken by the Santhal Tribe. This Indian tribe also have a script of their own called Olchiki. Apart from Santhali they also speak Bengali, Oriya and Hindi.
The Santhal
The santhal tribe has its mythological origin from the past. There is a belief among the Santhal community about the creation of earth. They believe that the primitive world was filled only with water and God had the problem in creating the land, where man can live. God created seven animals; crab, crocodile, alligator, eel, pawn, earthworm and tortoise. For creating land, God asked for help from the kings of all these animals. The king of earthworm succeeded in creating land. It is said that the king of earthworm, after seven days and seven nights, ate the bottom of the water and excreted on the back of the tortoise. The tortoise then anchored himself on both sides and brought up the earth and thus earth was shaped. The beliefs of santhals are based upon the spirits which are behind all natural powers, their themes are usually based on birth of Santhals, Santhal revolution, social aspects, myths and chaksudana.
Chitrakars ANIL CHITRAKAR BIJAY CHITRAKAR
Chitrakars : Anil Chitrakar : Bijay Chitrakar
Anil Chitrakar Anil Chitrakaar is a sixty three year old pyatkar artist who still practices the craft in Amadubi village. Anil was thirteen when his father died; he had learnt the performance and style of painting from his father when he was six years old. He believes it is their ‘parampara’ to teach this craft to the next generation of their family and this is the only way to keep the craft alive. He lost his wife when his four children were very young.It has been twenty five years now that he has been living a single life, his two sons Akash and Sadhu work in the construction area and his two daughters Pratima and Putul are married and living with their husbands in another village. His children visit him once a year. Anil lives in a one bedroom house with his bhabhi (sister-in-law),Sondah, who also lost her husband,Mathur, at a very young age. Sondha lost her husband when their daughter was only eight months old. Anil and Sondha both lost their companions and did not consider a second marriage. They brought up their children and got them settled in their lives. Now they live alone and their only source of income is from the paintings. They own no land but livestock which includes seven goats and ten chickens. Anil wakes up at four o’clock every morning and finishes his daily household chores meanwhile there is enough sunlight for him to start painting. And sometimes when he paints during the night, he uses a candle light and yet manages to paint the same shades of colours which he gets during the day. Natural colours are what give Anil’s paintings a distinctive character. Anil realises and understands the importance of natural colours. Although Anil has been exposed to a lot of new techniques and mediums, he is still inclined towards using natural colour because he still believes that mother nature will always support him in all ways. Anil is still able to play the ektara and dotara, which are instruments which were used in the pyatkar performance however due to his health conditions and his age, he is unable to continue performing kirtan and bhajans. Amitabh Ghosh (secretary of kalamandir) cited the words of Anil chitrakar ‘It’s our family tradition to make scrolls on mythology and folktales, from Ramayana, Mahabharata to Radha-Krishna and others. But now, teaching this form to youngsters is difficult. Most men migrate to cities in search of work. Perhaps only half a dozen artists are serious.
Chitrakars : Anil Chitrakar : Bijay Chitrakar
Chitrakars : Anil Chitrakar : Bijay Chitrakar
Chitrakars : Anil Chitrakar : Bijay Chitrakar
Bijay Chitrakar The fourty four year old young artist, Bijay chitrakar has flourished his paintings at a new level. He has had great exposure to the several craft clusters. Bijay is open to learning new techniques and wants to develop ideas in order to bring pyatkar paintings back to life. Bijay usually paints in his free time, sometimes when he wants to paint in the night, he uses a solar powered lamp. This shows how the Chitrakars have developed from a traditional candle light to a solar powered lamp. Bijay chitrakar is married and has three children. His wife, kajal, also paints with him in her free time. Their eldest son Bhuteshwar is thirteen years old, he goes to school and helps his father sometimes. His two daughters Kalpana who is eleven and Shravani who is three years old also practice the craft. The youngest one, Shravani is very interested in painting, she also learns how to play the ektara and dotara while singing kirtan and bhajans written by her father. The young generation are very keen on learning this performance and style of painting however as they get older, they realise that there is very less income from this therefore they focus on other things which will give them a better living. Bijay chitrakar explains, ‘the painting starts with chintan-dhara,(the thinking process of the theme of painting) which is time consuming. The chintan-dhara is related to shashtrasamband (mythology) and prakritisambandh (nature). The painting is basically devotion to God by its chitravarnam (visual narrative) and leelavarna (content of the narration). Scroll paintings have basically three important features, painting, katha (story) and sangeet (song).’ Bijay’s exposure has led him on to using chart paper and acrylic paints for more durability. ‘I want to reach out to more customers but how can I?’ He has several ideas which includes; pyatkar art as wall hangings, files and diary covers. ‘If the art doesn’t pay, it will die with our generation. Why will youngsters show interest in something that doesn’t help them earn money?’ Bijays main concern is to keep the craft alive. Getting influenced by the urbanised society and exploring the paintings using acrylic paints has changed Bijay’s style of painting.
NGO and Government
NGO and Government
‘Painting is their pleasure and livelihood and their product was their performance.’ – Amitabh Ghosh (secretary of kalamandir) Amitabh Ghosh shared quite a lot of facts and information about the NGO and the pyatkar craft itself. He realised that the Pyatkar craft started disappearing between the 1950s and the 1990s, he then decided to revive this craft. “I could see simplicity and grace in a handmade product, a story waiting to be told, an art dying to be appreciated … I knew there was a large audience waiting to hear these stories’, said Amitabh Ghosh. Therefore he began the pyatkar craft revival project. During this process, the pyatkar artists were very uncertain about the entire revival idea. ‘It was a hide and seek game between us and the artists’. In the beginning most of the chitrakars were very keen on working with the NGO however within time majority of the chitrakars stopped contributing because they were not earning enough. ‘Now we only have two pyatkar artists who still practice the craft, Anil and Bijay chitrakar.’ Kalamandir then made Amadubi village a tourist centre in 2005. Since then people started going there and more people were aware about the craft. He believes Kalamandir has created buyers for the artists. ‘They are in a close touch of the urban economy however they all want immediate money.’ Says Amitabh Ghosh Adarsh Kumar[2] explains the role of market in the lives of craftsmen very thoroughly. ‘Niche markets such as exhibitions and haats play an important role in exposing craftworkers to urban markets and in helping them to sell their products. However, the sales generated by these niche markets are inadequate to provide employment to the vast number of craft workers in India.’ Bringing the paintings to a mainstream market is, therefore, an important step towards providing full-time employment and towards helping them to increase their incomes. Another article, NGOs: blessing or curse, clarifies the reasons of intervention by the NGOs. ‘When the government fails, NGOs emerge. This may not be entirely true, but it is apt to say that when government ignores, NGOs thrive. This is exactly how Kalamandir took a stand on reviving Pyatkar paintings. Their biggest step was in making Amadubi village a tourist centre, which promoted the paintings to a new level. Amitabh Ghosh also tried creating a range of products like; calendars, bookmarks and postcards, again the topic of discussion on these products is ‘natural vs man-made’. David Pye[3] states, ‘The deterioration comes not because of bad workmanship in mass-production but because the range of qualities which mass-production is capable of just now is so dismally restricted.’ Each stroke of the chitrakar on the painting depicts the patience and time that was spent on producing that piece of painting, however massproducing the paintings, that too in a digital format, kills the beauty of the entire craft. David Pye [4]also states that, ‘Unless workmanship comes to be understood and appreciated for the art it is, our environment will lose much of the quality it still retains.’
NGO and Government
Conclusion Summing up all research, it is now understood how and why the craft of pyatkar’s has almost reached to the verge of extinction. Despite all the efforts put in by Kalamandir, there still remains only two chitrakars who practice this craft. It is understandable that the artist’s main concern is money and this is one of the main reasons why the NGO had to take quick action which led them on to creating various products, which took away the beauty of nature and erased the performance. The artists have also been innovative about their stories in order to keep their source of income constant. Kavita Singh[5] explains, ‘The women and the elders listen to the epic and the Puranic themes, see the tortures of hell meted out to the sinful, and then ask: Is there nothing new? We have seen this before! ...so the last scroll emerges. Here, a taxi driver abducts and rapes his beautiful passenger and kills her husband. There is a trial. Justice prevails and the woman’s honour is vindicated.’
People did tend to lose interest after listening to similar stories for more than one time, hence new stories were created with the help of news which was heard or seen. Chitrakars are open to innovation, learning new techniques with the hope of their craft coming back to life. After conducting a small book binding workshop, the chitrakars were very keen on developing the books into children’s story books. T. Richard Blurton[6] explains another reason of why the art of performance has started to disappear. ‘Today, though , they are more frequently prepared for sale and curios, and it is less common now to find examples which bear the tell-tale signs of repeated use – ragged edges caused by constant rolling and unrolling of the scroll, and repair work (often with pasted newspaper) to torn registers. The popularity of the cinema has, as elsewhere in India, had a deleterious effect on the status of traditional storytelling.
Akash and Ishita
Annexure
Glossary Pyatkar - The name Pyatkar is derived from “pyt” an abberation of pata means scroll and “Kar” is who does the art. Chitrakaars - “Chitr” in sanskrit means an image, and “akar” the maker. Santhal - Santhals are the third largest tribe in India. They are mostly found in the states of West Bengal, Bihar, Orissa, Jharkhand and Assam.
Daal - is a term in the Indian subcontinent for dried, split pulses (that is, lentils, peas, and beans). The term is also used for various soups prepared from these pulses. Sabzi - vegetables, especially when cooked. bengan baja - are pan fried or shallow fried marinated slices of Aubergines. Chatho - local mushroom in Bangla
Kala - Black kadhi pata -curry leaves in Hindi. Geru - Brown Shejan - Drumsticks in Bangla. Nila - Blue Sojna - Drumstick flowers in Bangla. Haro - Green Bangla - an ancient language of Bengal. Pilo - Yellow Dharti mata - Mother nature Manasa pooja - is a form of worship that is performed in the mind. In the most common form of manasa puja, the devotee goes through an entire worship ritual in his/her head, visualizing all steps of the ritual. Manasa puja may also refer to worship of the serpentine goddess, the Manasa puja lasts a month in the summer when snakes are active.
Khamak - is a string instrument originating in India, common in folk music of Bengal, Odissa and North East India. It is a oneheaded drum with a string attached to it which is plucked. Dhol - a large, barrel-shaped or cylindrical wooden drum, typically two-headed. shakha paula - a pair of shell (shakha) and red coral (paula) bangles worn as marriage symbols by the Bengali women. Jhuntia - Toe-rings worn by Bengali women.
Sarpanch - The head of a village. Berha - A village neighbouring Amadubi village in Jharkhand. Uparsoli - A village neighbouring Amadubi village in Jharkhand. Chakdipada - A village neighbouring Amadubi village in Jharkhand.
Saree - a garment consisting of a length of cotton or silk elaborately draped around the body. Dhoti - a garment worn by male Hindus, consisting of a piece of material tied around the waist and extending to cover most of the legs.
Marangbura - a mountain god of rain
Lungi - a sarong-like garment wrapped around the waist and extending to the ankles, worn by both sexes.
Manjhi - goddess of the mountains
Jaheraera- goddess of the sacred grove
Malabadal - is part of the traditional wedding ceremony that involves the exchange of flower garlands between the bride and bridegroom.
Chintan-dhara - the thinking process of the theme of painting.
subhadrishti - When he bride is told to remove the paan leaves. This exchange of loving glance is to initiate them to be together officially by the society.
Prakritisambandh - Nature.
sinduran - when the groom applies sindoor or vermilion (a symbol of marriage worn by Hindu women thereafter) on the bride’s hair-parting.
leelavarna - Content of narration.
Yagna - The bride and groom sit in front of the sacred fire and chant mantras after the priest. Agni, the fire god is made the divine witness to the marriage. Gayen - is a Bengali surname found in the Indian states of West Bengal and Assam. In Bengali, the title Gayen is referred to anyone involved in the composition of Bengali poetry and music.
Shashtrasamband - Mythology.
Chitravarnam - Visual narrative.
Katha - is an Indian style of religious storytelling, performances of which are a ritual event in Hinduism. Sangeet - Music Patau - an artisan community found in the state of West Bengal, Bihar, Jharkhand and Odissa in India. Jadu patau - Jadupatua are handcrafted scroll paintings from West Bengal and Bihar, India. Jadu patua literally means “magical painters”.
Chakshudana - are the ‘eye- giving’ or ‘the gift of the eyes’. Jarano - a type of scroll which is rolled. Patachitras - is a general term for traditional, cloth-based scroll painting, based in the eastern Indian state of Odissa. In the Sanskrit language, “Patta” literally means “cloth” and “Chitra” means “picture”.
Chaukosh - a type of scroll which is square or rectangular. Kalighat - a type of scroll which is painted by painters residing near Kalighat temple of Kolkata.
Bel - Wood apple Ektara - is a one-string instrument most often used in traditional music and is plucked with one finger.
Sarna - Sarnaism or Sarna defines the indigenous religion of the Adivasi populations of the states of Central India and Central east India in the states of Jharkhand, Odissa,West Bengal, Bihar, and Chhattisgarh.
Dotara - is a two, four, or sometimes five-stringed musical instrument. It is commonly used in Assam, Bangladesh, West Bengal and Bihar.
Naiki - a santhali priest Shaman Ujha- a Santhali Priest
Kirtan - a devotional song, typically about the life of Krishna, in which a group repeats lines sung by a leader. Bhajans - a devotional song. jhadu - Broom
Olchiki- a script also known as the Santali alphabet, was created in 1925 by Raghunath Murmu for the Santali language.
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