Pattachitra Painting
SOURCE :- IAS PARLIAMENT
- Pattachitra style of painting is one of the oldest and most popular art forms of Odisha.
- The name Pattachitra has evolved from the Sanskrit words Patta, meaning canvas, and Chitra, meaning picture.
- Pattachitra is done on canvas and is manifested by rich colourful application, creative motifs and designs, and portrayal of simple themes, mostly mythological in depiction.
- The Pattachitra, when painted on cloth, follows a traditional process of preparation of the canvas.
- First, the base is prepared by coating the cloth with the soft, white, stone powder of chalk and glue made from tamarind seeds.
- It is a tradition to complete the borders of the painting first.
- The painter then starts making a rough sketch directly with the brush using light red and yellow.
- The colours used are normally white, red, yellow, and black.
- When the painting is completed it is held over a charcoal fire and lacquer is applied to the surface.
- This makes the painting water resistant and durable, besides giving it a shining finish.
- Some of the popular themes represented through this art form are
- Thia Badhia - depiction of the temple of Jagannath.
- Krishna Lila - enactment of Jagannath as Lord Krishna displaying his powers as a child.
- Dasabatara Patti - the ten incarnations of Lord Vishnu.
- Panchamukhi - depiction of Lord Ganesh as a five-headed deity.
