Patachithra from Orissa

Patachitra is a craft unique to Orissa, with a history dating back to the 5th century BC. It is a kind of painting done on cloth coated with a mixture of chalk and gum. On this surface, paintings are done with natural colours.

Themes from the epics Ramayana and Mahabharata, gods and goddesses and landscapes find place in these paintings. Colours like dark green, lapis lazuli, parrot green, rose madder, bright orange and yellow are the most frequently used ones. The paintings are touched by a hint of gold and silver.

These paintings are exhibited at Surajkund crafts fair, organized by Haryana Tourism to promote the handloom and handicraft tradition of India.