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.

Traditional narrative pictorial forms from India mainly Patachitra of Bengal and Jharkhand could well are considered precursors to cinematic imaginary. Fantastic and vivid, these full-blooded audio-visual dramas unroll themselves in yards, in a multi-coloured, sequential progression, or play with the dynamics of moving forms and changing scales.

The images are accompanied by vigorous musical narration, sung out in ballad form, blank verse and theatrical dialogue. Often the craftsperson as a painter is also the poet, lyricist, composer and performer; in other words he is ‘a complete, all in one artist’ One may search the world over, but it would be difficult to find similar equations in terms of spontaneity, uniqueness and immediacy of impact, they continue to hold the imagination of audiences that are sadly shrinking by the day in this age of digital media.

Over the past 100 years, and ever so rapidly since the past decades, the motion picture has not only set new paradigms for visual imagery by way of telling a story, but also in actively shaping individual and collective identities. Like any active institution in the social order, a meaningful discourse on the power of illustrative narratives would then necessitate an enquiry into evolutionary origins and original forms as the means of appreciating its later manifestations.

The Indian tradition of storytelling, accompanied by painted panels or scrolls, can be traced back through literary evidence to at least the second century BC and are known to have existed almost all over the subcontinent. Buddhist, Jaina and Brahminical literature contains abundant references to the art of painted scrolls (Patachitras) which were exhibited to educate and to entertain the people. Classical Sanskrit literature has several references to Yama Patas. Narrative paintings are still produced in Rajasthan (Phad and Kavad ), Gujarat (Garodas), Orissa (Patachitra), Assam (Ojapali) and a few Deccani examples like Chitrakathi in Maharastra, Cherial scrolls of Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka and of course the Jadu Pats of Jharkhand and Patachitras of Bengal.

This striking living art form, far predating celluloid imagery, can be traced back through literary evidence, at least to the second century BC and were known to have existed almost all over the South Asian sub-continent.

References of the Chitrakars can be found in epics like Bana’s Harshacharitam and Vishakhdatta’s Mudrarakshasam. Chanakya, the great administrator in the court of Chandragupta Mourya, used them as his espionage agents to gather information from the villages. It is said and now, is established that during medieval period many kings used them as their propaganda and espionage agents for their ability to penetrate to the very core of the society in pretext of showing the Patas.

In ancient India, these picture-storytellers were known by various names such as Saubhikas, Yamapatakas, Mankhas, Chitrakathis, Chitrakars and Pratimadhars, traditionally who used scrolls or single sheet pictures made on cloth or on wooden board to dramatize didactic stories, often of a religious nature. And their counterparts can be found in twentieth century India in states of West Bengal, Jharkhand, Orissa, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Maharastra, Mysore, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh.

Still tucked away and barely surviving in small villages of Bengal, Jharkand, Orissa, Andhra, Telengana, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Maharashtra, Gujarat and Rajasthan, these pictorial narrative devices of entirely hand-painted ‘motion pictures’ has the potential of quietly continuing to mature, to evolve, with the sweep of historic time, adapting its numerous themes harmoniously to a changing society. In other words, they also serve purpose as a ‘journalist’ painting and showing Pats on current affairs like attack on American Twin Towers (9/11), Tsunami, HIV (AIDS) etc. 

They are the original audio-visual entertainers. The Chitrakars or Patuas are basically entertainers who communicate their message through traditional mode of audio-visual communication i.e. Patachitra. The message could be a mythological story, a social one or of most contemporary issues.

This tradition of storytelling with visual support can be seen in the early Indian sculptures at Sanchi, Bharhut and Amaravati, which are highly narrative in character. These panels are three dimensional ‘illustrated books’ to be read and understand by all including unlettered. The roots of these are lying in the ancient form of storytelling. It also proves that the power of audio-visual was discovered by our ancestors early, the cave dwellers communicate their thoughts effectively by painting a hunting plan or something else like festive scenes on the walls of the caves. At Bharhut and Sanchi, the gate architraves ending in volutes give the appearance of carved scrolls. When viewed together with two supporting columns on which the ‘lithic scrolls’ are placed, the gates (Torans) give the impression of the stage set for a performance. Thus the gates can be understood as the monumental representations of the way in which the picture-storytelling was performed in India. It can be assumed that the gates of the Stupas has been inspired by the format of painted scrolls and the early Indian narrative sculptures was rooted in the tradition of the early practice of narrating stories with visual aid, a practice still continuing in folk art forms.

The Chitrakars (Patuas) paint a story in a sequence on a scroll (Pata) of paper or cloth and showing with the help of related narrative lyrics. Generally a single story is painted on a Pat but there are specimens when two or three stories painted parallel in a single scroll. (Interestingly in some Pats, after the main story ends, last few panels are dedicated to “Yama Pat”). They resort to chronological sequencing of a story and while doing so they visualize and paint the episode of a definite moment, when a reference to it becomes imminent in the oral narrative.  

One of the most crucial features of visual narratives in Indian art is the manner in which the spaces of time are comprehended and incorporated in the work of art. They divide a story, song or verb into several episodes (depending on prefixed or available space) and visualize accordingly. The painted details in the particular painting (panel) depends on the duration of space and time in that particular narration in the episode. Patachitra, the living art form far predating celluloid imagery that that swept the mass imagination since the mid-ninteenth century.  Interestingly, the visualization is very similar to the way a film maker or (precisely) an animator prepares a storyboard. It can now be said that the tradition of Indian Picture Story-telling is the precursor of modern Indian cinema. The recent finding of an American research is that the Bengal Patachitras are themother of all comic strips in the world, although I could not check the authenticity of it.

The Chitrakars  or Patuas are using vegetable or earth colours which they obtain by grinding or burning some stones, extract of some flowers and leaves and vegetables. The colours are then mixed with natural gum extracted from Bael (Aegle mermalos) or by boiling Tamarind (Tamarindos indica) seed to make the colours applicable. Previously a long thin cloth (mostly discarded cotton Dhuti or Saree) is treated and pasted together in layers with coatings of chalk-white (Khari Mati) and mixed with gum and smoothened by rubbing with a smooth round stone to prepare the surface suitable to paint. However, currently the use of paper and commercial factory made water colours are popular among Patuas.

The drawings are free from external influences and the drawings are simple, bold and spontaneous in character. While subjects are basically the same, the depiction and the painting style differ from artist to artist. This tradition has been carried through the ages often with individualistic variations.

About the Author

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.

          The folk study generally includes traditional customs, superstitions, stories, dances, songs, medicines, riddles, jokes, proverbs, games, charms, omens, spells, and rituals, all of which are not reliant on written words. Songs and legends structure the major part of the studies among those of preliterate societies. The narratives are handed on by word of mouth, from one generation to the next, from one place to another. They are often heightened with exaggerated events of life in heavenly phenomena; for instance, when Deva and Asura fought there would be a thunderstorm, lightning, and darkness. In mythic imagination, the events of heaven and earth merge, and characters interchange roles. Myth is an essential part of Katha to establish moral ideas. Folk culture is not only entertainment, but they also bridge the past with the present, creating identity.  

          Again, the correlation and link between the village and the ancient Janapad-Mahajanapad were never lost, and the tradition of Patachitra found occasional mention in many Jain-Buddhist scriptures. Sanskrit literature largely romanticized the life of forest-river-hills where Rakshasas raid Rishi’s Ashrams or Rajas to retire for Vanaprastha. Even though India is a data-rich country to study folk, the subject took shape in Europe, within Victorian scholarship. Scholars structured varied views mixed with romanticism and nationalism. European scholarship argued all such elements in folk legends as unreal. Max Muller interpreted mythologies as rationalisations of natural phenomena, a primitive beginning that might denominate “protoscience” from cultural evolution and, ultimately, linguistic corruptions. The fundamental frame in nineteenth-century Europe was to explain tales and legends in folk as an expression of savage societies. Jakob Grimm saw them as corrupted cosmic allegories; the German school considered them forces of nature personified. Edward Tylor and Andrew Lang held similar assumptions about the survivals from a savage society; Marx saw exotic myths as a class struggle, while Freud and the psychoanalytical school found them fraught with sexual symbolism. As it seems, there was arbitrariness in defining savagery, barbarism, or civilization. Moreover, they did not discuss the process of myths or poetic motifs until much later. Increasing constructs pervaded folk studies, nevertheless, the rising curiosity extended to understanding the history of mankind.

          However, change came, and rejecting all such views of the Victorian era, the twentieth-century writers of Europe and America entered into a more rational frame. They concentrated on cataloguing information and creating systematic data. However, certain contributions from the Victorian era became a base for further observations. For instance, the twelve volumes of The Golden Bough by Sir James Frazer were the magnum opus of folklore scholarship. In later publications, Thompson’s six volumes of Motif-Index Folk-Literature were valuable as they methodised the basic elements of folk traditions. The books appeared in assorted topics: the Encyclopaedia of Superstitions, the Collector’s Handbook, the National Folklore Atlas, the International Folklore Bibliography, and so on. All of these undoubtedly expanded modern folklore scholarships.

          Similar to Victorian Europe, Indian Shastras could not overcome the priorities of Caste society and ignored the traditions of larger life, the village. The ancient Shilpa Shastra discussed art in the temples and palaces, and the entertainments of the nobles, keeping aside the vernacular art as non-iconographic. Nevertheless, the bardic art, Patachitra, with endless variations, has inner freedom and grew in a wider landscape. We can observe, that excellence in Indian art has happened in both formats, with classical rules and bardic freedom. Nevertheless, classical art did not survive time, and at present, it has degenerated into regional crafts. On the other hand, bardic art evolving constantly through the periods, also facing the new challenge of time now. 

          Within the institutional activities, folk became a new interest in nineteen-century India. However, writings carried many of the Victorian biases as well as European theories. The folk study in India is also linked to finding an Indian identity, re-discovering India and aligning nationalism. However, as the European format remained, folklore became data and analysis. The historical, anthropological and cultural studies also grew, and art forms in folk clustered as material objects, crafts, minor art, etc. So, observing objects of art in folk or their context in folk culture became a lesser consideration. This left a huge gap in the construct of folk studies in India as anomalies are evident when viewing and interpreting the trends of Patachitra as exist all over Indian regions.  

         On the other hand, the history of the itinerant bards, the Potuas who creates song and picture, is long, and it stretches through the pre-writing stage. Katha, the bardic trend, could be the earliest form of oral literature, even before the epics, the Ramayana-Mahabharata took shape in written form. It is found that many of the episodes in these epics, were isolated stories and pre-existing, like Bhim-Kahini and Kangsho-Badh, which were popular in various regions, for instance, in the ancient Gandhara, as mentioned in Jain-Buddhist scriptures. With time, even though the bardic tradition gathered many variations in the Indian sub-continent, as known, there are no chronological or historical accounts. A mention is found in Chanakya’s Arthashastra, but it informs a specific role of the Chitrakar, which was information gathering from the remote areas of the empire.  The bardic tradition was prevalent all-over Central Asia and stories travelled and merged when cultures had no borders. Certain elements of bardic myth seemed to have shaped epic literature. The correlation between bardic myth and epics is undoubtedly close. It can also be seen with Homer.  As a result, similarities exist between the narrative process of the Indian epics and the Odyssey and the Iliad. Homer was a bardic poet and like a bard, he too assembled the earlier stories, transforming myths. However, the bardic tradition in India has inclusiveness, with both songs and pictures, unlike similar traditions in Central Asia or other cultures. The similarities of bardic tradition also bring intriguing points on how stories travel and assume new forms in different localities. The story of Jom Pat or Hell torture after death is a very ancient theme in Patachitra and continues until now in Santhal Pata. Simultaneously, Hell-torture is also a known theme in Central Asia, found in the pre-Christian religious themes, in many Biblical illuminations, and in eighteenth-century European paintings as well.

          It is not clear how the bardic tradition took shape in the region of Bengal. The only reference is to Chanakya’s mention, it could be assumed that Chitrakaras were known in the eastern part during the Mauryan period. It took further shape with the Jain-Buddhist and later Hindu Bhakti waves in Bengal. The vernacular literature found a new thrust during the Islamic period, and the epics found endless transformation in Katha, Puran stories, and the Mangalkabyas in Bengal. All of these became part of Patachitra, in songs and pictures. While Patachitra flourished with various themes and cultural overlapping such as Central Asian stories, and Christian themes, the Kalighat Pat generated a new urban version of folk trends during the Company period. But history is vague and undocumented, yet it is evident that Patachitra connects us continuously with social change, gathering new themes, and acquiring stylistic variations while remaining folk in character. However, twentieth-century Indian habit, of viewing art, remained limited by various constraints. Indian writers saw low morality in Kalighat Pat, concluding the corruption of village tradition in the Babu-Bibi theme, and for using non-traditional materials. So, art was lost in the moral version until Kalighat Pat found a home in European museums. In a recent comment, an art writer also mentioned that the songs in Santhal Pat, created by Bangla Potuas, should not be ‘glorified’ as those are lies and misinformation.  While European scholars overcame nineteenth-century bias, extending to various rational frames and ideas, India hardly left the Victorian-Brahminical frame of understanding art in folk.

          There is a vital issue in exploring folk art: visual literacy is at variant layers in Indian scholarship, as most writers are not viewers of art. Evaluating creativity in folk forms and identifying its aesthetic elements is a process that requires critical culture with art, assessing the aesthetic achievement in the form. All such things are avoided in folk studies. Art, as such, is left to a specialized group, a group that does not exist in India. A similar problem was also in Europe, the focus on African and Oceanic art forms was created by artists and various creative minds. Later, a method of writing on art developed with the awareness of visual literacy where art merged with all genres. It elevated the social discourse with art, crossing the barrier between classical and folk art. It is yet to happen in India.

          The images below provide some idea of the undocumented history and trends of Patachitra which is fast vanishing.

About the Author

Born in Calcutta, in 1941, Amitabh graduated in Painting from Calcutta, in 1963. Later he received a French Government Scholarship to study Painting and Graphics in Paris, between 1966 and 1969.

After spending six years in Chennai and Delhi, Amitabh went to Paris, once again in 1976. Later he did Ed.M. from the State University of New York at Buffalo.

He spent eleven years in Nigeria as the Head of Visual Arts at the University of Port-Harcourt in Nigeria. His paintings are shown in Nigeria, the USA, Europe and the Far East.             

He has published four books in UK and India. He lives and works in Alipurduar in West Bengal.

According to the Madla Panji and the practices of the temple, whenever Naba Kalevara takes place or a new idol is made, Patachitra artisans are involved exclusively in a particular task. As soon as the work of the wooden idol is layered with filaments, the next step requires delicate covers known as the Sri Kapar or Holy Cloth. The Sri Kapar or Holy cloth, which is given by the temple authority to Chitrakars, is fixed to the wooden body of the idol with a very specially prepared gum. Camphor, resin, and guggul are mixed and prepared by fire, which is known as Radhna (Cooking). This technique produces a very aromatic cover. Next, it is polished with soft claystone called Khadi lagi. Chitrakars draw beautiful designs on this aromatic cloth. Fascinatingly, this method is used to make Odisha Patachitra even today. One of the most important and celestial mystical rituals is connected with the Anasara Pati, which is worshipped during the absence of the wooden deity in the sanctum sanctorum. To the painter, this process of making Anasara Pata is very auspicious. However, this whole system of Patachitra art is a distinct continuation of our rich cultural heritage. Patachitra is colloquially termed Pati in the village. Alongside the Anasara Pata, the main theme of this classic art centers on religious
conduct. The dalliance of Krishna described in Bhagavad is one of the most popular themes. The subject can be classified into the various category – 1) Vaishnava patachitra, 2) Shakta patachitra, 3) Shaiva patachitra and 4) Legendary stories of Odiya chronicles and a few different subjects like Raga Chitra, Yatri Pati, Tapoi Pati/Pata, Yama Pati, Naba Gunjara and so on.

FEW WORDS ABOUT PATA- ANCIENT LINK

This is the uniqueness of this art. The principal word Pata or Patta is derived from Sanskrit, which means cloth or a piece of linen. The word Pata can be found in the Ashtodwoyi of Panini, written in the third Century, Mahabhasya of Patanjali, Abhijnan Shakuntalam of Kabi Kalidas, Harsha Charita of Banabhatta, Uttar Ramcharit of Bhavabhuti, Vishnu Dharmottar Purana and many other books. Epical mentions of Odisha Patachitra are also found in Madla Panji, which is considered to be the most valuable scripture of Odisha culture. This wonderful art is not only related to Lord Jagannath but also has extensive manifestation with various names covering a wide range of Puranas and ancient stories from the unique teaching of Ramayana and Mahabharata. According to the exploits of Shankaracharya, who visited Puri in the seventh century, there are mentions of a few temples painted on cloth. There is another mention in Murari Mishra’s Anarghya Raghava drama.

This ancient art form is still alive. Raghurajpur village is situated 11 km away from the main Puri city. The entire village is an artist parish. It is a part of a larger village named Jankadeipur. Through the ages, generations of artists have been raised in an ambiance of the familiar tradition of art and the continuity of art has been kept alive through them. Very interestingly, the Jagannath Temple of Puri doesn’t have any prejudice about the caste system and that’s why so many different types of work are done by various communities of the Odisha people. Each community has a different responsibility for this temple from the time of its ancestors – a parampara or hereditary service to Lord Jagannath. These Patachitra artisans are also known as Chitrakara. They are from the Sudra family, which is also a parampara. There are many rituals and classifications related to this celestial traditional art.

VARIOUS PATACHITRA

Variation of Pata depends on the story. Numerous rituals and ceremonial Chitra Patas form a fabulous part of this ancient art history. To name a few, one may consider Jhulan Pati, Sri Krishna Janam Pati, Shashrakumva Pati, Kandarpa Adhibasa, Chandan Yatra, Rukmini Vivaha, Durga Madhab, Bamana Janam Pata and many more. Amongst them, Anasara Pati is one of the most consecrated Patachitras. During the fifteen days, after Snan Yatra and before Ratha Yatra, the idols of Lord Jagannath, Balarama, and Subhadra along with the Sudarshan Chakra are kept away from the public glare. If there is no deity inside the garbhagriha, then the temple remains close (unlike other living temples). Lord Jagannath is the only deity who comes out of his sanctum sanctorum every year to give Darshana to all. In his absence, the special Patachitra is worshipped there. Three separate Patachitra of each deity along with Sudarshan Pati is adulated every day followed by every detailed ritual in a systematic six-time worshiping. One can visualize the importance of this Anasara Pata in the Jagannath Culture of Odisha. There are many myths and stories about Jagannath temple and King Indradumnya, who was the founder of Jagannath Temple and was instructed by the Lord Himself to make the idol of the Holy Trinity as well to deal with everything related to this temple’s rules and practices. As per the most primitive anecdotes, following the foundation of the temple, King Indradumnya enquired Lord Brahma about his adorable deities deifying arrangement. A secret rule was passed down by Brahma to the king that the principal deities would not appear before the commoners for 15 consequence days after Snana Yatra. The devout king felt abundant pain for this inaccessibility of the Lord’s vision. He prayed to Brahma for some alternative way of seeing the deity, and that alternative way was the beginning of Patachitra Art as well as Anasara Pata. A distinguished Sanskrit scholar of the 18th century, Niladri Mahoday, beautifully narrated the story in his book. Brahma instructed the king that for these fifteen days, the wooden idol or the auspicious Daru Brahma Jagannatha would be covered with a bamboo frame and the top of that bamboo frame will be covered by a fine piece of painted cloth. That is now famous as the Anasara Pata. According to the Madla Panji, during the bathing festival, the deities of the temple have a bath with 108 pots of cold water to fight the heat of summer. After this royal bath ceremony, the Holy Trio is rendered sick with fever, and they stay away from the public view for fifteen days. This period is known as the ‘Anasara’ period, it commences from Jyeshta Purnima to Aashaadha Amavasya. During the Anasara period, the main door of the temple is also closed.

Besides the three main pata paintings, another small Anasara Pati is also prepared for Patitapabana and placed in front of the closed door for public view. Preparation of Anasara Pati begins on Akshaya Tritiya tithi. On this day, the temple Chitrakars receive pieces of cloth from the administration to use as Patas. A group of ten to fifteen artists, under the guidance of the chief artist, works on the paintings and paints the images of Shri Ananta Narayan, Shri Ananta Vasudev, and Goddess Bhubaneswari. The three paintings represent the three deities. Shri Ananta Narayan represents Lord Jagannath, Shri Ananta Vasudev is Lord Balabhadra and Goddess Bhubaneswari represents Goddess Subhadra. Each Pata painting is made on a cloth of 5.5 feet in length and 4 feet in width. It takes fifteen days to finish the Anasara Pati. After completion, priests from the Jagannath temple come to the chief artist’s house with a garland (Aagyan mala). As per the tradition, a special puja is performed at his house and after the puja, the Anasara Pati is rolled and tied with a piece of cloth and then carried to the Jagannath Temple by the Chitrakars and temple priests in a ceremonial procession accompanied by the hymn, bhajan, kirtan, mridangam, ghanta, etc. A Tati (temporary partition wall made of Bamboo) is constructed in front of the original deities and on this Pati, the three Pata Paintings are placed as the representatives of the three deities. The three Pata Paintings represent the traditional form of Narayan and Vasudev along with their usual attributes. Narayan is carrying Sankha, Chakra, Gada, and Padma in his four arms. Vasudev is holding Sankha, Gada, Hala, and Musala. Bhubaneswari holds two lotuses.

Present-day Chitrakar Debdutta Maharana, who lives very close to the Puri Jagannath temple area, is the main person along with Sridhar Maharana, another eminent Chitrakar, under whose observation young Chitrakars are preparing this auspicious Pati. This Anasara pata is made with prodigious sincerity and in pursuance of all the rituals. Artists follow a very pious life during that time and maintain few austerities. The principal Chitrakar is allotted a particular whitewashed room. A few ingredients of food like onion, garlic, and non-vegetarian food items are also prohibited for consumption. Every day, after taking a bath and wearing clean clothes, one can start the painting. No cohabitation is permissible during that period of making Anasara Pati. Chitrakars lie on the barren floor and pray for the blessings of the Almighty for successfully painting the Holy Trio. This Patachitra is the symbol of God, in one form. After finishing the Anasara Pata, the family priest of the Chitrakar performs a special puja. This puja usually takes place on the auspicious night of Snana Purnima. When the auspicious Patachitra is received by higher priests of the temple, only then can the Chitrakar enter the garb griha. These Patas are kept on bamboo frames and are tied by the sacred thread or Upavita of Brahmins. After that, the Anasara Patachitra is made, and then it is followed by a symbolic Mahasnana or ‘great bath’ which is performed by the priest accompanied by the chanting of certain special hymns. The deities are now established in terms of both the alternative rituals and systems and from that time onwards, for fifteen days, they will appear as the main deities before all devotees and all the celestial rituals, puja, prayers, and wishes will be made in front of them. Therefore, Anasara Pata indicates the antiquity of Odisha Patachitra and can be regarded as a unique feature in the history of Bharatiya Art and Heritage.

The artisans of Raghurajpur are categorized according to the different roles they must advocate in society. Not each Chitrakar is eligible to draw the Anasara Pati, it has to be decided by the temple authority and the royal court. Only the most competent artist, amongst those who belong to the 18 Gada/ghara Chitrakar family, is chosen for Jagannath Pata, while the Patait Paban Pati and the Balavdra Pati can be made only by the fourteen-ghara Chitrakar family and the Subhadra Pati can only be made by 6 ghara Chitrakar family. This is a general division of that artist in Odisha culture. People who are preparing JAGANNATH pata, are known as 18 ghara Chitrakar. Those 18 artisan family selected as the painter of Jagannatha Pata. In the same way, 14 ghara artisans are selected for making Balarama Pata, & 6 ghara artisans are selected for making Subhadra Pati. This is a very old custom in Raghurajpur. Artisans are not sure from which time that division was started. According to senior artists and scholars maybe this was started from the beginning of Patachitra Art of Odisha.

There are many other Patas that are related to the numerous stories from the history of the magnificent Odisha Patachitra. The popular thematic Patachitra is based on the Vaishnav topic, which is commonly known as the Rasa Chitra Pata and Kandarpa Pata. It gained popularity in the 18th century. The Rasa Patachitra has different names and styles:

1. Naranari Kunjar Rasa,
2. Anasar Rasa, and
3. Bana Rasa.

Odisha patachitra’s charmingly ornate nature is defined by fine line works and soothing colors. Kandarpa Pata and Rasa Pata are the finest examples of this art.

Another famous Pata was Jatri Pata it was a memorial of pilgrimage and by nature, it can be compared to the Bengal Pata. The Jatri Pata is not very famous these days, but up until the nineteenth century it was in high demand amongst devotees. The Jagannath Temple has always been a great attraction and pilgrimage since its inception. Before the invention of photography, people who came to visit this temple wished to carry some memories from this place. Consequently, to fulfill the wishes of the regular visitors, the Chitrakar community started selling Patachitras in an area adjacent to the temple complex. They produced large numbers of Jatri Pata in a short period. It wasn’t characterized by fine line work, but it was so enigmatic that people loved to collect it as souvenirs and gifts. Before the invention of paper small Patas were prepared on cloth. However, the Jatri Pati always centers on the three main deities. From Bhubaneswar state museum and eminent senior artists, I came to know that there are various Jatri Pati or Jatri Pata around the temple, and it is also available on great Rathayatra Utsav. Interestingly, this Rathayatra Pati is made in such a variety of sizes and matters that it should be a subject of interest for academicians. I have explained all of this in a detailed manner in my book Odisha Patachitra and Jagannath Culture Between all variants of Jatri Pati, the Thia Badia is the most delicate piece of work and also the most important one. With the presence of three idols, the entire background of the temple and the circumference were drawn uniquely.

The main raw material of Odisha Pata is cotton cloth. Besides that, all the colors are made organically. White is derived from a conch shell, black is used from kajal, while Blue, Yellow, and Red are derived from soft stones that are collected from the Koraput area. The glue of tamarind is made from tamarind seeds. Very fine handmade brushes are used to paint the picture which is primarily drawn by pencil nowadays. Chitrakars use old shells of coconut as their pot of color. Now and then, Pata is also made on Tasar silk.

This art is based on the eternal nature of creative excellence. So many characteristics, methods, and leitmotifs are related to this art. Characteristics of folk art mingle with classical art to represent a unique tradition of Odisha Heritage. This Patachitra is comparable to the ornament, tapestry of lines, colors, myth, history, and rituals of Lord Jagannath. It is strongly associated with sculptures, dance, and an ancient way of life.
Jai Jagannath!

About The Author

Anita Bose is an Author, Artist, Researcher,  Associate with Ramakrishna Mission Institute of Culture,Vivekananda Kendra, Guest lecturer of RMIC, Course coordinator of Appreciation of South East Asian Culture and heritage through Ramayana. Former Guide of National Museum volunteer, Bangkok. Associate with Siam Society under Royal Patronage  Author of Three important books on Jagannath Patachitra, Ramayana Footprints in South East Asian culture and heritage, Saptapadi. Editor of Global Encyclopaedia of Ramayana, Curtain raiser volume & Bangabhumite Ramayana charcha. More than 50 article published in abroad and India. She is also related with various social work in India and abroad.