Even at the most basic level Orissan paintings have a color and vibrancy that are one of the most effective media of reflecting life. Orissa has an age old tradition of Painting which stretches from the prehistoric rock shelters to the temples and mathas of this century. Out of these the traditional painters, the tribal painter , the folk and rock painters are of significance. Art of Orissa are the products of a long historical process in which the spiritual, philosophical and the human dimensions have merged to yield the finest effects of a cultured and civilized life. This art only have made the state a land of rich and diverse artistic achievements.

Patta art

The art of Pattachitra have been traditionally practiced by the Maharanas, the professional painter cast of Orissa. It is a religious art form which has been used to embellish Lord Jagannath’s innermost sanctum. Pattachitra however has become more secular in the present day in the choice of subjects. As one of the fascinating art form of Orissa has a tradition that goes back centuries. Soaked in Puranic culture and classical romances, with vibrant colors, superb craftsmanship, simplicity in design the ‘Pattachitra’ has become a distinct art form and has captured the imagination of artists and art lovers alike. The term ‘Pattachitra’ has its origin from the Sanskrit. ‘Patta’ means cloth and ‘chitra’ means paintings. Therefore, ‘Pattachitra’ means paintings on cloth. From very early period cloth has been used for painting in India. So also was the case with Orissa. It is said that painted thin clothes were sent to China from Orissa during the rule of Bhaumakars and the craftsmanship was highly appreciated.

The preparation of pattas or canvas for painting is very interesting. It is indigenously prepared. A piece of cloth is washed and then neatly spread out on the floor. A special gum is prepared from tamarind seeds and is applied over this piece of cloth. Another piece of the cloth of same size is placed on it before the gum dries up and a fresh coating of gum is applied on it again. Then the patta is allowed to dry in the sun. After it is dried, it is cut into appropriate size and then a paste of soft white stone powder and tamarind seed gum, mixed in an ideal proportion applied on both sides. After both side dry completely the huge piece of cloth is cut into required sizes. After cutting to sizes, the patta is polished first with a rough stone and then with a pebble whose surface is smooth for a very long time. Then over the polished cloth which look off white in color, the chitrakar or the artist starts painting on it.

The colors used in the paintings are bright and primarily white, red, yellow, blue, green and black. These colors are prepared out of the natural ingredients. White is prepared from powder of conch shell, yellow from Haritala, a kind of stone, red from geru (Dheu) and Hingula black from burning lamp and cocoanut shell and green from leaves. A sequential procedure is followed to make the paintings. First the border and the sketch is drawn on the patis either in pencil or in light color. And then the color is applied. The visual appeal of a patta painting lies is in its color combination and style of presentation. The human figures are generally drawn frontally while the face, legs are shown side-wise and the eyes are drawn in an Soaked in Puranic culture and classical romances, with vibrant colors, superb craftsmanship manner from the front side. Sharp nose and round chins are prominently depicted. The hair style, clothing, ornamentation, beard and mustaches are used for differentiating persons in the painting so that king, minister sage, royal priest, common man, the God, the Goddesses are easily recognized in the painting and the subject is understood by the observer. A decorative border is drawn on all sides to give it a frame like look. In this painting overlapping is avoided as far as possible. However, the sense of far and near is not necessarily depicted. The typical face style, designs and color combination makes this painting different from other school of paintings. Central focus of the painting always is the expression of the figures and the emotion they portray, the strong color only reinforce them. Tusser silk is also used instead of the patta as a canvas to create patta paintings. These are costlier because of the silk cloth being used, but are more portable.

The fine form of patta paintings has been revived with great success at the artist’s village of Raghurajpur just outside Puri where over 200 families practice the art revitalized from family sketch books handed down from generation to generation. The craftsman accord great reverence to these family heirlooms which are worshipped along with family deities.

Palm leaf engraving

Patta style of sketching is used to decorate dried palm leaves. Rows of same sized palm leaves are first arranged together and sewn. These neatly sewn palm leaves are then folded in such a way so as to make a pile. These paintings are first etched out, which means that the designs and images are neatly etched on the surface of the palm leaf using a sharp pen like object. Ink (or a concoction of charcoal of burnt coconut shells, turmeric and oil) is then poured along the lines to define the lines. Vegetable dyes are also added to give these paintings some color, but these paintings are mostly, dichromatic (black and white). The panels of the paintings are unfolded like a fan to reveal a beautiful piece of chitra-pothi of palm-leave manuscript. Again mythological themes dominate the subject of these paintings. Subjects from Mahabharata, Ramayan are depicted along with other Gods and Goddesses like lord Jagannath, Durga, Ganesh, Saraswati, Krishna and Radha.

Tribal Art

Orissa has a rich tribal culture. The Sauras, the Kondhs and the Santals decorate their houses with motifs of flowers, birds and geometrical designs. The Saura paintings are based on religious beliefs and drawn in order to appease demigods and spirits. On the occasion of animal sacrifices also paintings are drawn on walls. The themes of these paintings are usually dream sequences. The Kondh wall paintings are generally in the form of geometrical designs. Santals also paint their houses with figurative patterns.

Rock Painting

Painted rock shelters are situated in the densely wooded tracts of western Orissa. The rock shelters at Ulapgarh and Vikram Khol in Sambalpur district, Manikmada and Ushakothi in Sundargarh district, Gudahandi and Yogimatha in Kalahandi district, offer the joy of discovering a primitive culture, rare in the whole of Eastern India. There are natural rocks in these areas covered with prehistoric paintings. The Ravana Chhata Rock al Sitabinjhee of Keonjhar district contains a painting of a very high order. It depicts the procession scene of a King riding a caparisoned elephant. There are horse-riders and soldiers on the march holding shafts and banners, followed by a female attendant. This painting carries reminiscence of Aianta murals. The rock painting in these natural caves are colored with the help of a twig of a palm tree turned into a brush by hammering its fibrous end. The paintings differ from place to place.