Odisha is home to a vibrant art scene. Its traditions and customs being preserved and practiced for centuries reflect the glorious heritage of this coastal state, located strategically by the Bay of Bengal. What distinguishes Oriyan culture from that of other states in India is that since many kings ruled the kingdom, these multiple dynasties have impacted the art and culture of the state.

Patta Chitras

A unique art belonging to Odisha is the Patta Chitras. This style of painting is done on cloth using organic vegetable dyes. The themes and motifs are drawn out of Hindu epics and mostly depict the lives and times of Lord Krishna. They tend to reflect the typical Puri Jagannath cult and the artists draw inspiration from the famous Jagannath Yatra, sculptures in the temples, practices and rituals connected to the temple etc.

The distinct art with pre-historic origins derives its name from the Sanskrit word Patta meaning painted cloth. The artists use a combination of rich colors to bring alive the themes. The cloth used for painting is specially treated using indigenous methods.

Most of the artists who do Patta Chitra hail from the villages of Raghurajpur and Dandshahi near Puri. The miniature paintings are invariably used as wall hangings and are found in Puri, Bhubaneshwar regions extensively. Although the tradition of painting is still alive, it is slowly fading away like many other art forms due to lack of sustainable income and promising future.

Rock Paintings

Yet another pre-historic art is the etching and pictorial writing on rocks. A wide selection of themes has been depicted on rocks in places like  Vikramkhol in Jharsuguda, Manikmada and Ushakothi in Sundergarh, Gudahandi in Kalahandi and Jogimath in Nuapada district besides Sitabinji in Keonjhar district.

The motifs used for the paintings are usually drawn from everyday life and depict activities such as hunting, fighting, dancing, etc. Several temples in Odisha, particularly, the Jagannath Temple and Mukteshwar Temple have mural paintings on the walls and stand ample testimony to the creativity of the artists.

Mural Painting

This art form which had gained prominence during the 18th and 19th centuries thanks to the patronage of the Kalinga rulers, had for some years been relegated to the background for various reasons. However, due to the efforts of the Orissa Art Conservation Centre (OACC), the mural painting art has found a fresh lease of life.

A group of 60 wall artists from different parts of the state have been brought together under this project umbrella and are being encouraged to unleash their creativity on walls and rocks. This scheme is actively being promoted in the village of Raghurajpur, close to Puri. As a result, the entire village looks spruced up and is itself an art gallery for the beholder. The revival of wall painting has also boosted tourism in this region, helping the economy of the village to a big extent.

Chitrapothi

Yet another kind of painting that has witnessed a revival is the etching on palm leaves, a tradition native to Odisha. Since the medieval times, palm leaf writing has been practiced. In this art form, the artist uses an iron pen and creates a design on the palm leaves. A herbal paste is then smothered on this etching and allowed to dry. When all the leftover residue is cleaned out, the design or the text stands out distinctly. The artist then uses organic colors to add more life to these designs. Typically animal motifs, nature-oriented themes, characters from the famous epics such as Ramayan and Mahabharat etc can be found on these palm leaves.

Tribal Paintings

Tribal cultures of Odisha also encouraged painting portraying their own beliefs and customs. Images of the tribal deities and the associated rituals, figures of animals and flowers, etc were painted by the ethnic communities.