History and Tradition of Pattachitra from Bengal

Pattachitra Painting is a well-renowned traditional art form of India, expected to originate from the 10th to 12th Century A.D. It is mainly practiced in the areas of West Bengal, Odisha, Bihar, and Jharkhand. The common theme of Pattachitra are mainly drawn out from the Puranas and epics.

Pattachitra Paintings of West Bengal

Over the passage of centuries, one of the remarkable traditions of India that has evolved and come a long way is the Pattachitra, an art form that has coincided with music, visual tales, and historical oral traditions. These art forms mostly infuse, portray and involve Mother Nature, tales and beliefs of the human society, and the culture of India that intermingles and exists through simplistic visuals and dialogues. Thus Pattachitra is a type of painting that on one hand depicts society and its retained celebration. On the other, it works as an archival hub for the preservation of the social transformation, tales about migrations and insights about the socio-political as well as religious norms co-exist respectively. Pattachitra is the celebrated art form of an integral part of Indian tradition and folk culture, especially in the states of West Bengal, Odisha, Bihar, and Jharkhand.

The Pattachitra of West Bengal is one of the remarkable art forms that have shifted the paradigms of the realm of performative art. This art form is mainly practiced in the regions of Bankura, Purulia, West Midnapore, and Birbhum of Bengal. The painters of Pattachitra, who are known as Patuas were initially roaming artists, who used to travel from place to place with scrolls of deity paintings along with them. Though their origins are not estimated yet, through innumerable oral tales and traditions, it is expected their profession began around the 10th to 12th AD in Bengal. The painters used to visit the houses of rich people especially Zamindars or feudal landlords, officers, or police with their scroll of paintings, narrate the tales from the paintings to them, and often in return receive rewards such as cash, grains, or clothes. They were even invited into the houses of those wealthy people on special occasions such as religious festivals to narrate the stories of deities or the mythological tales associated with the specific pujas or festivals that are being performed, and they were rewarded following that. The narrations include stories from the Puranas like Mangal Kavyas to popular epics such as The Ramayana. Pattachitra painters carry forward their profession all their life and later passed on to their families. Even today as well their profession is carried forward in their families. The painting Scrolls or the Pat Khelano (playing with the Pat or the display) shimmered with the handmade organic colors by the artists themselves goes with the songs that were referred to as Pater Gaan (the songs of the Pata).

The making procedure of Pattachitra is entirely driven out of nature. From colours to the painting scrolls, every element is from the environment. The colours which are used for the Pattachitra are taken from natural elements such as turmeric used for the yellow colour, conch-shell powder for the white colour, purple from black plum or blueberry, red from the vermillion powder, brown from the limestone mixed with black catechu and so on. Even the paint brushes that the painters use for painting are made from the tails of mongoose or squirrels which are tied with thin strips of bamboo. They put and mix their colors in the water and homemade glue in coconut shells (which they use as their palettes) to enhance the colours and make them brighter. Earlier Patu artists used to make their papers or canvas for the painting scrolls on their own. However, in recent years pieces of equipment have changed. Painters have started using acrylic or fabric colours, industry-made papers, and paint brushes. In recent times, Pattachitra paintings are widely admired in Bengal and have reached various art exhibitions and received worldwide recognition.