Pattachitra

The name Pattachitra has evolved from the Sanskrit words patta, meaning canvas, and chitra, meaning picture. Pattachitra is thus a painting done on canvas, and is manifested by rich colorful application, creative motifs, and designs, and portrayal of simple themes, mostly mythological in depiction. The traditions of Pattachitra paintings are more than thousand years old and Orissa’s villages are the center of these artforms out of which Raghurajpur is one such village where creativity flows on every available surface including walls, fabric, woodware, earthenware and most interestingly on palm leaves.

The art is done on hand-woven canvases made of palm tree leaves which are layers together for both painting and carving. The zig-zag folds of crisp yellow leaves save within them, an unbound flow of creativity which is so fine that they seem to have been done using needles and so they are! These lovely foldable canvases store in them, stories from great epics, tales of gods and goddesses and social scenes.

Madhubani Paintings

“Madhubani Painting” also known as “Mithila Painting” is one of the prehistoric visual art styles known to mankind. It originated in the ancient kingdom of Mithila, part of Bihar in North India.

Its origin is shrouded in antiquity and as per the legends, it dates back Ramayana era. It was practiced by womenfolk on freshly plastered mud walls and floors of their homes after every monsoon season, using twigs and natural dyes.