Art & Craft in Orissa
Orissa
boasts of a long and rich cultural heritage. Due to the reigns of many different
rulers in the past, the culture, arts and crafts of the state underwent many
changes, imitations, assimilations and new creations, from time to time. The
artistic skill of the Orissan artists is unsurpassable in the world. The discovery
that traditional artists still live and work throughout Orissa, producing
various objects in many media, is an exciting part of any visit to the state.
Patta Chitra :- Besides mural paintings, we get miniature paintings,
which are called patta chitras. Pattas are now used as wall hangings. The
subject matter of Patta paintings is limited to religious themes. The stories
of Rama and Krishna are usually depicted on the pattas. "Rasa Lila",
"Vastra Haran", "Kaliya Dalan" are some of the recurring
themes of Patta art.
Sand Arts :- In Orissa ,a unique type of art form is developed at Puri
. But it spreads all over the world . To carve a sand sculpture , the raw
material is the only clean and fine grained sand mixed with water . With the
help of this type of sand and with the blessings of God and by the magic of
fingures , an artist can carve a beautiful and attractive sculpture on the
beach.
Paintings
:- 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.
Palm Leaf Paintings :- Palm leaf paintings are very ancient in Orissa.In
Orissa the Palm Leaf illustrations are mainly of two types, simple engravings
or illustrations in pure line on palm leaf and engraving with colour fillings.
In these engravings, colours are muted and play a very minor part. Where colours
are at all applied, they are just painted either to emphasize the inscriptions,
or to fill up blank space.
Jhoti, Chita, Muruja :- The folk art of Orissa is bound up with its social
and religious activities. In the month of Margasira, women folk worship the
goddess Lakshmi. It is the harvest season when grain is thrashed and stored.
During this auspicious occasion, the mud walls and floors are decorated with
murals in white rice paste or pithau.
