Pattachitra Painting www.craftcanvas.com
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Table of Contents • About Us • Introduction • Mythology • Material Used
• Process of Pattachitra Painting • Motifs • Contemporary Adaptations • Additional References • Image Source
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About Us CraftCanvas is a link between rural artisan communities and the urban customer, translating an ages old craft into something that is relevant today. It is based on the idea of contemporizing Indian Handicrafts through a common platform and canvas where stake holders of the craft community like artisans, designers, craft practitioners, etc can come together to create unique products and experiences suited to modern day living. India has a rich handicraft heritage and we owe this to generations of artisans who have blended tradition, religion, social norms and functionality to bring craft where it is today. However, there has been a significant shift in sensibilities of present-day craft patrons thereby highlighting a need for Handicrafts to adapt to these changes. We believe that there is a place for India’s traditional crafts even in the most modern of spaces and this process of evolution is what CraftCanvas facilitates. Handicraft patrons like you can express your requirements ranging from wall murals, soft furnishings, paintings, furniture and lighting among many others. Our team will assist you in transforming their ideas and aesthetic preferences to final products with a high level of artistry. On the other end, we are constantly forming collaborations between the craft and design community through which an interesting blend of experiences and products are developed. Working with designers, traditional artisans are trained to adapt to this new design scenario. For designers, it gives them an opportunity to create solutions that embody the essence of the craft. Subsequently, these innovations are marketed by CraftCanvas through channels like online store, workshops, exhibitions etc.
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Introduction
Traditional pattachitra painting of Lord Krishna
Patta painting, or Pattachitra, is one of the regional arts of the coastal state of Orissa in eastern India. Pattachitra means painting on cloth. The art form can be traced to as early as the 12th century A.D and has evolved around the Jagannath cult in Orissa. Like any other form of painting, irrespective of time and space, it possesses its own set of meanings and purposes. In particular, it expresses some of the religious and mythological aspects of Oriya culture, focusing on the Hindu epics in general, the Mahabharata and the Ramayana, and the Jagannath cult in particular. Although overtly religious, it does not simply express a set of religious ideas or values and is much more than a mere visual art. It expresses a whole set of beliefs and practices relating to life and death held by the artisans themselves. Traditionally, it is practiced only by the Chitrakara caste as their caste occupation. Although Chitrakaras are found at many places in Orissa, like Sonepur, Parlakhemundi and Cuttack, their major concentration is in Raghurajpur and Puri. There are various forms of Pattachitra- TalaPattachitra, Jatripatti, Ganjapa, Jautuka Peti etc. www.craftcanvas.com
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Mythology
Traditional pattachitra painting of Jagannath
In Orissa, patta painting owes its popularity to the Jagannath cult, with which it has long been intimately associated. The image of Jagannath is carved out of margosa wood and painted by members of the Chitrakara caste, who were brought to Puri from various places as the servants of Lord Jagannath. Besides painting the walls and images, they also provide various other paintings, such as the patta, for the temple on various occasions. Since it is believed that all the thirty-six crore (360 million) deities of the Hindus are worshipped in the Jagannath temple complex at Puri, a considerable number of festivals are celebrated there. One popular type of patta painting is the anasarapatti. From the celestial bath on Snana Purnima (the full-moon day in the month of jyestha (MayJune) until the day of the famous Ratha Yatra, the Chariot festival (held on the new-moon day in the month of ashadha (June-July), the supreme triad (Jagannath, Balabhadra, and Subhadra) are believed to suffer from fever and are 'treated' in a separate room called the anasaraghara. During this celestial bath, 108 pots of water are poured over each deity. As a result, the painted colours on the images are washed away, so that the images are kept in the anasaraghara for repainting for fifteen days. During this period, when the images are absent from the ratnasinghasana (the inner sanctuary), three large patta paintings of the trinity are kept inside the main shrine, as proxies which can be worshipped. These paintings are called anasarapatti. Apart from this there are various other pattis which are worshiped at a different point of time in the temple. www.craftcanvas.com
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Materials Used The materials used for the preparation of pattachitra paintings are similar for all the types and styles except tala-pattachitra where palm leaf is used as a canvas. Style
List of Materials used Stages
Preparation of cloth
Composition Pattachitra paintings Ganjappa cards Jatuka Pedi
List of Materials Old Cloth Tamarind glue Chalk Powder Stone Pencil Eraser Colours Brushes
Colours White
Conch shell
Black
Soot of kerosene lamp
Cinnabar, Yellow, ochre
Different minerals
Brushes
Tamarind Glue Bamboo Stick Thread Hair of buffalo, mongoose and rat
Preparation of Canvas
Palm leaf Turmeric Solution Thread
Composition
Iron stylus
Colour
Black colour from Charcoal
Tala- Pattachitra
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Process of Pattachitra Painting The process followed for the various styles of pattachitra is similar except for the Tala-Pattachitra, where the painting is done on palm leaves. Pattachitra Preparation of cloth
Artisans preparing the cloth for painting
Earlier, primed paper was used as the base of the painting. Then paintings of different sizes were produced, depending on the demand from devotees or jatris coming from far and wide, who took these paintings as souvenirs of the pilgrimage. They also worshipped these at home as representatives of the trinity. These paintings are called jatripattis (from jatri'pilgrim', and patti'painting'). In course of time, the Chitrakaras used primed cloth or canvas as the base for the painting work. This canvas was prepared by applying tamarind glue (prepared from tamarind seeds) and chalk solution on clean cotton saris or dhotis in two or three layers. The preparation of such canvases requires skilled knowledge. The process has the following four stages:
1. Preparation of glue from tamarind seeds Insect-free, good-quality seeds are soaked in water overnight and are then made into pulp by grinding. The pulp is then mixed with water in a ratio of 1:2 and is kept on the hearth for 30-45 minutes until it becomes sticky and semi-solid. www.craftcanvas.com
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2. Preparation of chalk powder solution In preparing the chalk solution, a white chalk locally called khadipathara is ground to a fine powder and mixed well with water in a 1:2 ratio. To make it sticky, 400 gm. of tamarind glue is mixed together with 1 kg of chalk powder.
3. Application of glue and chalk powder over the cloth A clean cotton sari or cloth about 5-5.5 metres in length is taken and the thin borders cut off. Then the sari or cloth is cut into two equal halves and spread lengthways over a plain mat. A thick layer of tamarind glue is uniformly applied to the cloth with the help of another piece of cloth. The other half is then spread over the first by two people. Utmost care is taken so that no crease is left between the two layers of cloth. Another thick coat of tamarind glue is applied on this second layer and left to dry. After it has dried thoroughly, the cloth is gently taken away from the mat. This primed cloth, locally called a patti, is kept under the sun for a day or two to dry better. Sometimes three layers of cloth are used to make the patti stronger and more durable. Once the patti has dried thoroughly, a solution of chalk powder is applied on both the sides with a piece of cloth and left to dry. Two or three such coatings of chalk solution are applied, with an interval for drying each time, to make the canvas more perfect and thus reduce the amount of colour consumed in painting.
4. Polishing the surface of the primed cloth for making it smooth for painting The last phase of preparation is smoothing the canvas, which is locally called a pattighasa. The canvas or patti with chalk solution on it has a white but rough surface which needs polishing properly to be rendered suitable for being painted. For this the canvas is spread on a clean floor and rubbed in two phases, first with a rough surfaced stone called bagadabarada, and then with a comparatively smooth and polished stone called chikkanabarada, till the surface of the canvas becomes completely polished and smooth enough to be painted. A small amount of chalk-powder solution is applied with tamarind glue to give the patti a glazed effect. The process of preparation of the canvas is time consuming and is carried out by both male and female members of the Chitrakara family. Preparation of the
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tamarind glue and the chalk-powder solution, as well as smoothing the surface, are usually done by the women, while the preparation of the canvas itself, that is, the application of tamarind glue and chalk-powder solution to the cotton cloth, is carried out by the men. Composition
Artisan making the composition of the painting
• • • •
Pattachitras are usually painted in a regular series of steps First a border is drawn around the pataa
Then the outline of the figure is drawn in white pigment Next the background between the border and the part of the figures is painted in solid colours, using different colours for different areas, all done in bold rather than fine brush work • Then increasingly fine decorations are added to the picture. Applications of lines in the paintings are very smooth and fine in character creating many beautiful decorative designs. Eyebrows, nose, lips, eyes, jewelry, dresses are painted using charcoal or chalk, then colours are applied and finally ornate designs are added
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The border of paintings is as important as the central theme. Use of double lines is found on the borders of paintings. The inner border of the painting often uses a sort of leaf-and-scroll motif and is narrower in width than the outer border, which often uses a floral motif. The postures are largely well defined and repetition as a style creates an interesting aesthetic appeal. One of the important aspects of pattachitra is that it doesn‘t incorporate any depth or perspective visualization. Pattachitra is a two dimensional art form but application of strong and rhythmic lines and use of bright colour in the painting give an extraordinary dimensional appeal. Symbolic association of colours
Chitrakaras strictly follow the Hindu sastras and puranas in the use of colour for the motifs of gods and goddesses. Generally, all goddesses are painted yellow, while the gods are painted white. However, in an individual painting, i.e. a painting depicting only one god or goddess, he/she is coloured according to the descriptions given by the Hindu scriptures. For example, Krishna is always painted blue, Ram white or light blue, Ganesha white or off-white, and the goddess Saraswati white. Balabhadra, Jagannath, Devi Subhadra, and the goddesses Lakshmi and Sabitri are always painted white, while the goddesses Mangala, Radha, and sometimes Sita are painted yellow, which represents their fairness. Regarding the colour of the garments worn by the deities, the artist is free to exercise his discretion in colour schemes, barring a few exceptions. For example, the clothes of rishis and sanyasis who have renounced the material world are usually ochre or orange. The yellow cloth or pitta basana is always associated with Krishna. Since, like Krishna, Ramachandra is considered to be another incarnation of Vishnu, the usual colour used for his garment is also yellow. Similarly, as, according to Hindu scriptures, Shiva used a tiger's skin for his attire, his garment is dark yellow with dark brown or black spots. The colour of the garments of Brahma and Vishnu is usually white. However, in Hindu mythology, all male deities are painted with the upper half of their bodies bare except for the long folded cloth on their shoulder called uttari. There is no www.craftcanvas.com
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strict colour scheme for the uttari, except those of Bramha and Vishnu, who are never painted without an uttari. The dress colour of almost all court attendants in a court scene is usually found to be white. Other types of Pattachitra Tala-Pattachitra
Artisan etching the palm leaf to make Talapattachitra
Palm leaf pattachitra which is in Oriya language known as TalaPattachitra is drawn on palm leaf. Tala means palm and pattachitra means painting on the cloth. These palm leaf paintings hold a world of tales and secrets, beautifully depicted by the artists of Orissa. The great epics Ramayana and Mahabharata are favourite subjects of illustration in many art forms, as they are with palm leaf paintings. Stories of gods and goddesses are also depicted with minute details of ornaments, hairstyles, animals, flowers, trees and elements of nature.
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Process: 1. Preparation of the medium Palm leaves are first cut into the required sizes and treated with a solution of turmeric, as the antibacterial properties of turmeric ensure longevity of the painting. Once dried for a few days, the leaves are ready for painting. Since the painting can only be done between the veins of the palm leaves; they are all more or less a standard size. Two layers are stuck together and a few of such strips are tied together with a thread, to create a scroll that compresses into a very compact block of zigzag folds. Sometimes the artists paint first and then stitch the strips together, such as when they want to insert colourful paper between the layers, to show through the fine cuts made in the illustrations. 2. Process of painting • The painting on palm leaves is a unique process, as ink or pens are not directly used to apply colour. Instead, an iron stylus has to be used with extreme care, to etch the drawing on to the brittle surface, making sure that it doesn’t go wrong or the leaf doesn’t break • Once the drawing is inscribed, lamp black is rubbed all over the leaf and then it is cleaned, giving fine black colour to the carved lines, while rest of the surface stays clean • The artists also sometimes make very small cut outs in the painting, to give it a stencil like appearance. This requires a great deal of precision and skill, as the palm leaf is brittle and has directional grains, which interferes with a smooth usage of the cutting blade. Such beautifully placed cut outs make the painting even more intricate and lace like. Sometimes the artists use colour to beautify the painting, by inserting coloured paper between the layers or by painting with natural colours. Such developments have been quite recent compared to the ancientness of the art and have taken it to a new level
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Motifs The paintings are usually based on myths in chronological order. The theme of the painting is usually dominated by Jagannath in his different postures in the Jagannath temple at Puri or Krishna and his different sacred activities. In case of the jatripattis, which are the earliest form of patta painting, the motifs associated with the trinity always occur at the centre of the smaller paintings, while the trinity themselves are found inside the temple in comparatively larger paintings. Apart from the jatripattis, there are also other paintings showing Vishnu in his various incarnations, Shiva and Ganesha, the goddesses Durga and Kali, etc. Sometimes episodes from the Ramayana are also painted. However, the most popular motif found in patta painting is Krishna in his different postures and in different activities and episodes from his life, usually accompanied by his companion Radha in the smaller paintings. Krishna is also painted as a child, called Bala Gopala or BalaKrishna. Smaller paintings also depict different incarnations of Vishnu (of whom Krishna is himself actually one) and episodes from the Mahabharata and another popular sacred text, the Gita. These details show that patta painting is largely associated with the god Vishnu. The individual paintings of Gods and Goddesses are also painted. The Pattachitra style is a juxtaposition of folk and classical elements, but is more inclined towards the folk forms. The costume in the paintings reflects the Mughal and Rajasthani influences, and the design and decorative motifs are influenced by the paintings of Rajasthani miniature. Its uniqueness lies in its overall finesse and rhythmic juxtaposition of elements. Jatripatti (painting meant exclusively for pilgrims): In the past the only form of patta painting available on the market were jatripattis, painted on both primed paper and cloth of various shapes and sizes. It basically depicts the trinity in different postures and the architecture of the Jagannath temple at Puri. These jatripattis are named differently according to their shape and size, for example, anguthi (circular shape of finger-tip size), gola (circular type), panchamandiria (depicting five temples), and sankhanavi (depicting the temple's architecture on a conch-shell painting).
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Ganjappa:
Artisan painting the Ganjapa cards
These are circular paintings 1.2-2 cm in diameter, used as playing cards in earlier times. They were first adopted exclusively by royal or aristocratic families but later became very popular among rural people. One set of ganjappa usually consists of 96 cards, sometimes even 108 or 112. Each card is an original creation, with lively and diverse illustrations and motifs, which are supposedly never repeated. Jautukapedi (dowry box):
Jatukapedi painted in pattachitra style
In earlier times, brides were given various household items and clothes at the www.craftcanvas.com
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time of their departure from their parents’ home after the marriage ceremony. All these things were placed in a wooden box called ajautuka (dowry) pedi (box), painted with patta paintings. It was customary among the Chitrakaras to give such boxes of various sizes to their brides. It was also popular among other people, though not customary. Patta paintings of smaller size with single figures of gods and goddess were also common. Large paintings depicting various mythological stories were usually acquired by kings, emperors, and zamindars (landlords). The various themes of Pattachitra are: Besides the anasarapatti, some other patta paintings worshipped in the temple on various occasions include • The krishnapatti, patta paintings of Krishna worshipped on his birthday, the twelfth day of 'dark fortnight' in the month of bhadrav (August- September) • The bamanapatti, a painting of Bamana, the fifth incarnation of Vishnu, worshipped on his birthday, the twelfth day of the dark fortnight in the month of bhadrav (August-September) • The kandarpapatti, paintings of Kandarpa worshipped on the twelfth and thirteenth day of the bright fortnight in the month of chaitra (March-April) for the welfare of the state • Theyamapatti, a painting of Yama, the god of death • And the ushakothi, depicting the story of the Goddess Mangala, are worshipped by Hindu women at other places in Orissa on the occasion of Sabitri Amabasya, the new-moon day in the month of jyestha (May-June), and Mangala Puja, on each Thursday of the dark fortnight of the month of aswina (September-October) respectively
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Contemporary Adaptations
Space design of a kitchen in a Pattachitra style by Collective Crafts
Tala-pattachitra box by CraftCanvas
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Additional References • http://odisha.gov.in/emagazine/Orissareview/dec2005/engpdf/patta_chitra_its_past_and_present.pd f • https://www.thecho.in/files/nibedita-das.pdf • http://www.craftmark.org/sites/default/files/P021%20Pattachitra.pdf • http://kalarte.com/india/or-pc/patachitra.pdf • https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pattachitra Image Source
• http://roadswelltraveled.com/shop/DE/index.php?id_product=118&controller =product&id_lang=1 • http://roadswelltraveled.com/shop/US/index.php?id_category=29&controller= category • http://gaatha.com/pattachitra-story-orissa/ • http://www.collectivecraft.com/2011_08_01_archive.html • https://www.flickr.com/photos/proxyindian/5171819116 • http://www.exoticindiaart.com/product/paintings/life-of-krishna-PK57/ • http://www.exoticindiaart.com/product/paintings/lord-jagannatha-in-king-scostume-raja-vesha-PP33/
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