Murals > Patua Painting

Title: Patua Painting

Medium: Natural dye on Paper

Size: 150 x 32 cms

The Patuas, also known as Chitrakars, are a community of artisans from the north-eastern region of India who traditionally paint stories on a piece of cloth called ‘Patti’ or ‘Patta’. Traditionally painted with vegetable dyes and fixed with a vegetable gum on paper, these scrolls of Patua painting or Patachitra depict stories from the great Hindu epics and are often used to aid storytelling. The paintings also describe the coexistence of humans with different elements of earth and nature. This painting done by me, on a handmade paper, using vegetable dyes was created during a workshop held by one of the Patta Chitrakars in the year 2008. It portrays the birth of the first couple of the Santhal tribes, Pilchu Haram and Pilchu Burhi. According to the ancient folklore, they bore seven sons and seven daughters who then got married and perpetuated the generations of Santhals. The birth of the Santhals marks the beginning of the art of Patua painting.