a-heritage-village-where-art-evolved-as-sewa

A burst of colour greets the eye on entering Raghurajpur. Each house is a gallery here; showcasing art in its myriad forms.

 

A hamlet of about 150 houses, barely 15 km from the temple town of Puri in Odisha, it is a heritage crafts village where history dates back to 5 BC. People flock to this village not just for its antiquity. The village is inhabited by families of Chitrakar caste, known for aesthetically producing paintings, sculptures, masks, palm leaf engravings and a lot more.

 

The fine and delicate art of pattachitra, characterised by vibrant colours and intricate details is the special attraction here since majority of pattachitra artists receive their inspiration and at times training at Raghurajpur.

 

The 3000-year-old unbroken lineage of artists in this village has ensured that the tradition of pattachitra making is not compromised for commercial and other demands. While art makes news only when a work of art is auctioned crossing million dollars mark in the rest of the world; at Raghurajpur, it is practised as ‘sewa’ to Lord Jagannath. The entire village adheres to traditional ways of making the sacred paintings based on mythological tales using materials and processes that have been in practice for generations. This ensures that their art not only survives millennia but flourishes under changing tastes and demands.

 

Raghurajpur is a living museum that evolves with each passing day, adding new dimensions to traditional art forms. The artists—few may like to call them artisans for their adherence to a particular form they call craft—do not depend on modern amenities needed to promote art. Art galleries, curators, managers and promoters are rolled into family members. Their gallery is their modest home. Tourists and researchers come here in hordes.

 

The artworks displayed in the small verandas and stair cases of their homes attract by their bright colours. Frescos of classic themes adorn the walls. One can see artists at work sitting on the floor; sculpting, engraving, painting, pounding, mixing and drying colours. It offers a live experience of an artwork in the process of making.  

 

Living tradition as patronage 

 

The chitrakars have several sub-castes, around 18, depending upon the skill they inherit and excel. There are pattachitra painters, sculptors, inlay workers, ganjifa card makers, chitra pothi makers and the artists who excel at painting and sculpting miniature—an episode from myths painted on a betel nut or a temple with inlay work in stone, of the size of a match-box—astound visitors for its finesse.

 

In the past kings and nawabs were patrons of art, a tradition followed by the temple of Lord Jagannath binds the artists and their art to the temple; this linkage has ensured the survival of their art through many historical upheavals.  

 

Lord Jagannath’s temple has three large wooden sculptures of Lord Jagannath, Lord Balbhadra and Devi Subhadra. They undergo a bathing ritual on the full moon day of Jyeshtha month in summer. Since the long ritual of bathing with 108 types of water gives them cold; they are sent for recovery for 15 days. During this period, the devotees miss having a darshan of the deity. As a substitute to the deities, the sacred paintings of pattachitra are displayed in the temple depicting mythical tales from Ramayana, Mahabharata and other tales of Lord Jagannath. The painting is also worshipped, Odissi dance performances are held to please the pictorial tales of the God. 

 

Tale of pattachitra

 

The origin of traditional paintings of pattachitra goes back to 12th century CE. Few experts believe that the village of Raghurajpur was established by the ruler of the Eastern Ganga Dynasty, King Narasingha Deva I (1238-1264 CE). During the reign of the Eastern Ganga Dynasty, art and architecture flourished exponentially; the king commissioned the famous Sun temple of Konark. Pattachitra art matured during this period and the skill was passed from one generation to the other. Chitrakars trace their origin to the Savar tribe. Others believe that the artists’ village evolved on its own over millennia, as a cluster of artists since they depend on each other for the many processes involved in creating a pattachitra. 

 

Also read: Patachitra: The fading scrolls of Bengal’s living canvas

 

A complex process

 

From two Sanskrit words patta and chitra, the word pattachitra is coined for one of the most ancient forms of paintings. Traditionally, it was made only on cloth but eventually these paintings are being made on tassar silk, palm leaves and on other materials like coconut shell or betel nut. Jatripattis, the scrolls of paintings attached to a string, are also produced by artists for centuries, for the pilgrim’s convenience—to carry home as souvenirs. 

 

The preparation of canvas (patta) is an elaborate process. To make the surface hard yet absorbent, a gummy paste of tamarind seeds and soft granite powder is plastered on two layers of stretched pieces of cloth, which is usually a soft cotton saree, free of starch. The natural gum called niryaskalpa is made by soaking tamarind seeds for several days, few artists also add gum from kaitha (wood apple) fruit to this mix. The two layers of cloth thus pasted are left in the sun to dry. The dried cloth is coated with a mixture of chalk powder and is polished with a smooth stone or seashell to create a firm and leathery surface for painting.

 

It is a tradition to directly paint the borders first and then apply flat colours, which are normally white, black, yellow and red. The intricately drawn border is a special feature of pattachitra. The materials used in the paint are extracted from vegetables and mineral resources—from the mines of western Odisha.

 

For instance, black is made out of the soot, white is prepared from crushed, boiled, and filtered shells and red from the shingle stones (hingula) found near river beds. Yellow is made from harital stone and green pigment is obtained by boiling leaves and adding natural gum. Colour making is time consuming. The motifs are drawn directly on the patta, without a pencil sketch using a fine brush made of hair of animals-squirrels or goats etc. This follows the process of bharani, filling the colours with precision. Varnishing of the finished work is done by painting a layer of lacquer obtained from kaitha tree. It also adds sheen to the painting and protects it from dust and fungi.  

 

Chitrakars have a deep knowledge of mythological and folk themes, which they depict on their canvas, the patta. Krishna Leela and the portrayal of Lord Jagannath, Subhadra, and Balabhadra are major depictions. Entire family is involved in the process of making these paintings. This writer met the family of Abhimanyu, a pattachitra painter and Kanti Bariki, his mother, who showed her intricate artwork depicting the tales of Lord Krishna. Though the tales are taken from the Mahabharata, Kanti adds a unique perspective to her work—Lord Krishna, who is supposed to take his bhaktas across the bhava sagar—the ocean of the worldly maya, is instead taken on the boat made of the Gopi’s bodies. This exemplifies their devotion and surrender to becoming a nonentity. 

 

Heritage tag

 

As you enter Raghurajpur, you are introduced to busts of the great artists who hailed from this small hamlet—including late Odissi exponent Guru Kelucharan Mahapatra and Shilpa Guru Dr Jagannath Mahapatra, a prominent pattachitra artist. A guest house hosts researchers and artists from across the globe, who come here to learn the art of pattachitra making or the intricacies of Gotipua dance, which evolved into Odissi dance, as a classical art form. The village has a temple in the middle, flanked by artist’s houses on both sides. One can see sculptors shaping a stone or dancers practising their art in the large temple veranda.  

 

Raghurajpura was given the tag of Heritage Crafts Village in 2000 by INTACH to recognise its unbroken traditions. This celebrated cultural hub of Odisha was also recognised as the Best Tourism Village in 2023 by the Union Ministry of Tourism. The titles are well deserved, you realise, as you leave this vibrant village. It haunts with bursts of joyous colours and simple, smiling faces—in memory. 

 

By Vandana Shukla