#Thread On the auspicious occasion of #RathaJatra21, showcasing the ancient art of #pattachitra, traditional paintings with scriptural narratives done on cloth. The village of #raghurajpur near Puri in Odisha is renowned for pattachitra. @odisha_tourism @arunbothra @PattachitraP 
Pattachitra is a combination of two Sanskrit words patta, meaning cloth, and chitra, meaning picture. Pattachitras are known for their colours and themes drawn from Hindu epics, scriptures as well as from folktales. @pramila_mallick @odisha_tourism @PiyushGoyal
#pattachitra themes are usually based on Thia Badhia - depiction of Lord Jagannath, Balbhadra and Subhadra, Krishna Lila, Dasabatara - the ten incarnations of Lord Vishnu, Dasmahabidyas - ten aspects of Shakti and other themes from Hindu scriptures. @PattachitraP
The first step in the making of a #pattachitra is to prime the patta or the cloth by coating it with tamarind seed paste. After that, the cloth is coated with a soft clay paste, dried and polished with a rough stone. The cloth then becomes stiff and smooth like a canvas.
The paints were traditionally prepared from natural materials like conch shells, by mixing the powder with the gum of the kaitha tree. Different materials are used for different colours, e.g lamp soot for black colour. Colours are mixed in coconut shells. Brushes are locally made
Pattachitra painters are known as chitrakars. Entire household takes part in the painting activity. While the master painter does the freehand line drawings and works on facial expressions, others prepare the glue, prepare the patta and fill in the colours. @odisha_tourism
Master chitrakars do not use pencil or charcoal for the line drawings. They are so good at their work that they draw the line drawings directly on the prepared patta with the brush.Then the colours are filled in and facial expressions perfected.
The colours used in #pattachitra paintings were traditionally limited to red, yellow, indigo, black and white. The brushes used by are made of hair of domestic animals tied to the end of a bamboo stick make the brush. Entire process is very Eco-friendly.
This #pattachitra pallu of a saree depicts the incident from Kanchi-Kaveri Upakhyana where Manika, a milk-maid meets Lord Jagannath and Balbhadra as they go to fight with the king of Kanchi on behalf of king Purushottam Deva, the king of #Odisha. #sareeswag
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