Pattachitra themes are mostly religious in nature. Since lord Vishnu is a principal deity in some of the main temples of Odisha, the theme revolving around Dashavatara, or ten incarnations of Vishnu, is also commonly made. The incarnations include Matsya (the giant fish), Kurma (the tortoise), Varaha (the boar), Narsimhan (half-man, half-lion), Vaman (dwarf), Parashuram, Ram, Krishna, Buddha, Kalki. In Raghurajpur, as per local belief, the eighth incarnation is that of either Krishna or Balaram, and the ninth maybe Buddha or Lord Jagannath.
With the famous Jagannath Puri temple being so closeby, the deity plays a big role in the artform. In fact, artisans believe that Lord Jagannath falls sick for 15 days a year, and during those days, a Jagannath pattachitra is sent to him every year for recovery.
Thank you for making us aware of these wonderous gems tucked away in our country.
Is there anyway we can bring it to mainstream awareness & help in their sale ?
Thank you Dr. Guleria. I’m so glad you found this article to be of value. As of now, we are working on creating an artisan directory that would help connect prospective buyers directly to the artisans. It would be great if you could also share a word about these crafts with people you know.
Wonderful work Ms Parul. These rare gems need a platform, your article will go a long way to achieve the same.
Thank you so much Dr. Arora. π
Very nice effort for introducing people about various art form
Thanks Jinal. π