Although I have used the term “Jadu Patua” and “Santhal Chitrakars” but they are neither Jadu Patuas nor belonging to the Santhal tribe, this I will explain later, but for the sake of ease and to understand I will use the term Jadu Patuas here.

In Eastern India the Chitrakars can be broadly divided into two main groups- the Patuas and the Jadu Patuas.  The Patuas serve to the populace ‘in general’ and Jadu Patuas serves mainly to Santhal adivasis along with other populace of the area. Santhals are one of the largest and oldest among the Indian tribes, spread over Bengal, Bihar, Orissa, M.P. Assam and Jharkhand. The Santhals are mainly horticulturist and nature lovers. For their day-to-day and for agricultural needs they are dependent on other communities like potters, blacksmiths, weavers etc. to whom Santhals call “Harmittang” Har (Harh) means Santhals and Mittang-  meeta, friend; Friends of Santhals. These communities generally live either in Santhal villages or in close proximity.

There is another community, falling in this class of Harmittang are  Jadu Patuas,  who  have earned a separate entity by virtue of their ‘Pata’ (scrolls)   Jadu Patuas are basically entertainers but they have a definite and an important ritual to perform in Santhal life- is “Chakshudaan” (eye donation /vision giving).

There is a misconception regarding the term Jadu Patua. Since Santhals call them Jadau Guru (respected person/ akin to a priest), some scholars and people generally confuse or relate this term with Jadu or magic. But Jadu Patuas neither have any relation nor do they practice magic. Some scholars have an opinion that it is a gimmick to perform Chakshudaan. A Jadu Patua never show any gimmick, Chakshudaan, rather is similar to the Shraddh ceremony among Hindus; end of the mourning period, after any death in the family.

The Ritual of Chakshudaan

When a person of Santhal community dies, within 2-3 days after the cremation or burial (depending on which system the family follows), a Chitrakar visits the bereaved family with a single small painting on a paper (something like 3”X4”) of a male, in case a male had died or of a female, in case a female had died. Also items like few utensils, a hen or a goat, an umbrella etc (which the Patua wishes to get gifted) are painted along with the figure, but noticeably eyeball of the human figure is not painted.

When a Jadu Patua reaches the household, a Charpai (cot) or a Chowki (low stool), with a clean bed-spread is layed for him to sit; his feet are washed by the head of the family (who had performed the rituals of cremation). A bowl filled with turmeric mixed water is kept besides him. After settling down, the Jadu Patua narrates an imaginary story that he met the deceased person in his dreams, s/he was very upset and confused because he could not see the path of the heaven because his eyes are left behind on earth to see his favorite earthly objects like goat, utensils, cloths, umbrella etc. The Jadu Patua continues to say that he had promised the deceased to bring his/her favorite things so s/he can go to the heaven. At the end of the story he shows the reflection of the painting (without eyeball) in the bowl filled with turmeric water. After this the family gives him some money, food, used cloths, mattress etc. of the deceased. After receiving the items, the Jadu Patua, very aptly, paints the eyeball and shows the reflection of the painting (with complete eye) and says that he will give these items to the deceased and now s/he would go to the heaven (a sort Mukti – emancipation/salvation of the soul from the earthly illusions). With this ritual, the mourning period considered being over and the family returns to their normal routine.

It is with this skill or his swiftness in painting the eye, is appears like a gimmick, which people relates with magic tricks and magic to the term Jadu. Some people believe it needs some magical powers to make it possible to bring back some ones vision. Rather, as mentioned earlier, Santhals call them Jadau Guru (Jadav Guru) and in colloquial term Jadau became Jadu.

As mentioned, the Jadu Patuas serve mainly to Santhal tribes; naturally their concentrations are in the Santhal populated areas in the districts of Bankura, Purulia, Birbhum and Medinipur of West Bengal and Dumka, Godda, Deoghar and Dhanbad, Jamtara districts of Jharkhand. Interestingly, in Jharkhand other artisan communities are also called Jadu Patua/Petia, the Dhokra metal casters around Shikaripara are called Jadu Petias.

The Jadu Patuas use vegetable or earth colours. They obtain these colours by grinding or burning some stones, extract of some flowers, vegetables and leaves, for this reason their pallet is limited to few colours only. The extracted colours are then mixed with natural gum of Bael (Aegle mermalos) or Tamarind seed (Tamarindos indica) gum to make them applicable. Previously a long cloth was treated with a coating of chalk-white mixed with gum and smoothened by rubbing with a smooth, round stone. The surface thus is ready to paint. However, recently the use of cheap paper is popular among these Chitrakars.

The drawings are free from external influences and the lines are simple, bold and spontaneous in character. While subjects are basically the same, the depiction and painting style differs from, person to person. Apart from stories from Hindu mythology like Chandi Mangal, Manasha Mangal, Ramayana which caters to both Hindu and Santhal populace, The Jadu Patuas mainly paint Santhal Janam Katha (Origin of the Santhals/Universe) on how life evolved on the earth and Narak Jantrana/ Jampat  (The Court of Yamaraj).  

What was ones a prosperous community is now in a state of decay? They are now poorest of the poor and lives in poverty and starvation and are socially considered lowest of the low. In present context when things are valued with money only forcing to changes in values and moral code and ‘less’ god fearing. The structure of the society and the advent of alien cultures like electronic gadgets, cinemas and recently availability of YouTube in the rural and tribal areas, are some of the other reasons which have left them with little to do. The irony is, rural folk now can spare time and money for these titillating shows and gadgets but not for these poor artists and their art. The situation is very grave in rural scenario. Sadly, this rich heritage is at the verge of extinction and if nothing is done to it, the time is not far when it will pass into oblivion. Many Jadu Patuas today have discarded their traditional occupation and have migrated to cities and have taken to menial works of such as construction labour and rickshaw pulling.  The few surviving Patuas who are still practicing their art, are mostly surviving from the income from the ritual of Chakshudaan, which is not sufficient for a decent living. The ladies of these Patua families traditionally are involved in ear/nose piercing to the young girls and sometimes also work as midwife of masseurs to mothers after delivery of a child.  

In Jamtara district of Jharkhand, Kusma village famous for Jadu Patuas (like Naya in Medinipur). When I first visited it in early 1980s reaching the village by trekking (needless to say that time it was under Bihar and in Santhal Pargana district). In my later visits I find a slow migration and in my last visit in 2016 to shoot a documentary film, I find some of them died and most of others had migrated to cities, only one old Chitrakar who could not walk without any support and could not paint due his hazing eyesight, what a pathetic situation.  Anyhow, due to our old association he shows some discarded old Pats and my shoot was limited to his interview only.   

Santhal Janam Katha (Myth of the Origin of the Santhals/ Universe)

(In the course of my field works I came across many versions of Santhal Myth of Origin. Though I had compiled all those but a more ‘logical’ version is given here, the translation is mine):   

“Many million moons ago there was water everywhere and everything was submerged underneath.

The supreme God Marang Buru, Jaher Era and Sing Bonga decided to rescue life.

Marang Buru brought two cows from the heaven, two moths were born from their saliva. When moths grew up they turned into two birds.

(in another version, “While bathing Jaher Era rubbed her collar bone and compressed the rubbing in her palms which took shape like two birds. She went to Sing Bonga and asked him to breathe life into them”. And since the birds were created from the rubbings of the collar bone (Hansuli) the birds are named Hans (swans).

The birds kept on flying because there was water everywhere and not a place to sit and rest.

Marang Buru created a fish, a crab and a prawn and asked them to bring mud from the “Pataal” (the third and lowest level of the universe) and settle it on the water, but all failed.

Then he created earthworm, the earthworm managed to bring small quantity of the mud that could not be settled on wavy water.     

Marang Buru then created a tortoise which could float on the water and the earthworm could put the mud on its back. But it was difficult for the tortoise to keep on floating endlessly.

So Marang Buru asked the Shesh Naag (the Ultimate Snake) to spread its hood, so the tortoise could rest on it. This is how the earth was created.

Marang Buru brought Karam tree from the heaven and planted it on the newly created earth. The birds build a nest and laid two eggs.

From these eggs two human babies, a male- Pilchu Haram and a female- Pilchu Buri were born. They were the first Santhals (humans) on earth.

Pilchu Haram and Pilchu Buri had eight sons and eight daughters. It was difficult for the couple to manage so many children. They approached Marang Buru for advice. Marang Buru asked them to go to Khararai forest and collect some Bakor (a fermenting agent) and prepare Handia (rice beer) and call him when it is ready.

They followed instructions and when Handia was ready, the aroma of it was so tempting, that they forgot to call Marang Buru, instead, they consumed large quantity of the beer. They got drunk and started beating each other.

Marang Buru rushed to settle the matter. Pilchu Buri was reluctant to stay anymore with her husband. Marang Buru asked the couple to separate. He asked Pilchu Haram to take the sons and Pilchu Buri to take daughters. Pilchu Buri and the girls went to Surhur forest and Pilchu Haram settled with boys at Khararai forest. Years passed, children grew up separately and reached adulthood. One boy died of snake bite.

One day the seven boys went to a forest to hunt and eight girls arrived at the same forest to gather fruits and vegetables. The boys saw the girls singing and swinging under a Banayan tree. They met each other and became friends. They started meeting every day and fell in love.

One day the seven boys married seven of the girls by smearing dust into the parting of their hair. The eldest girl, Kanta Buri, remained unmarried. They indulged in dancing and singing.

Much time had passed and the boys and girls did not returned home, Pilchu Haram went out to look for the boys and reached the forest at the same time Pilchu Buri also came to look for the girls. The two met after 12 years and recognized each other. They were surprised to know that their own children, who were brothers and sisters, married each other. Marang Buru appeared and approved their marriages and blessed the couples.

He divided the seven couples into seven sects and clans and asked the eldest unmarried sister to look after the pregnant mothers and the newborn babies. He renamed her Marang Dei and asked everybody to worship her during Bandhana festival.

The population increased with passing time. One day the elders gathered to make a code of conduct for the community. They sat on lotus leaves and dictated that there will be no marriages between brothers and sisters or within the same clan.

There was a man named Gadai Marandi who was very handsome and had very long hairs but his legs were swelled due to elephantiasis disease. A girl from Kishku clan fell in love with him and wanted to marry but when she saw the swollen legs, she refused him. Enraged Gadai Marandi cut off her head. After this, marriages between Kishku and Marandis became taboo and both clans became arch rivals.

On Sohrai festival, the Santhals worship cows and bulls as a gratitude for their contribution to the household and agricultural work. Earlier, the Santhals used to wear the sacred thread, one day, the seven sons, while bathing in a pond, left the threads on the grass. The Dhaiman snake took away all sacred threads, after this incident, Santhals stopped wearing the sacred thread and kill Dhaiman snake wherever they see it. The myths generally end with the death of Pilchu Haram and Pilchu Buri and were cremated. To free their souls from earthly illusions, their siblings approached Marang Buru, who was taking a bath. They asked him how the dead might achieve salvation of the soul. Marang Buru then created the Chitrakar, the Jadau Guru from his body rubbings and bestowed upon him the task of guiding the departed souls to the Heaven through the ritual of Chakshudaan.

Ravi Kant Dwivedi Graduated in Fine arts from Kala Bhavan, Santiniketan. He is a Photographer, Documentary Film Maker and Cultural Ethnographer. With a rucksack, sleeping bag and camera, Ravi travelled extensively, mostly on foot, to the very remote interiors of rural and tribal belts of Eastern India. For the last four decades he is involved in research and documentation of Folk and Tribal art and culture. Had witnessed and documented very rare rituals and cultural practices. Chadar Badar, a unique form of tribal puppetry by Santhal adivasis, was discovered and revived by him.
His research papers, articles, reviews and photographs had published in many books, journals and magazines in India and abroad.