Home > Purulia > Patachitra
Patachitra

Patachitra (pron. Pawtochitro)
known for its brilliant play of colours, is a traditional folk art form of rural Bengal that has been in existence for many centuries. Patachitras are painted narrative scrolls executed by a class of itinerant singing scroll painters variously known as Patuas, Chitrakars, Patikars or Patidars and characterised by religious and social motifs and images painted on cloth.  The word Pata (Pot) is derived from the Sanskrit word patta meaning a kind of fabric or silk cloth. There are two schools of thought regarding the origin of the Patuas. One links them to a tribal background while the other points to their presence in the Mauryan period as well as references in Sanskrit literature from the 2nd century CE.

At any rate, from at least the 13th century or before (Frank J Korom, Village of Painters) , the Patuas of Bengal have walked from village to village singing moral and mythological stories, unfurling their painted scrolls to illustrate their songs, the lyrics and tunes of which they composed themselves. The Patuas were the chief source of entertainment in the villages and their art was a combination of storytelling, painting and singing. Since their stories carried an overtone of just and moral behavior, the Patua played the dual role of mobile entertainer and social reformer.  Their art appealed to everyone and could be understood by even a child. For his efforts, the Patua would receive a little money but mostly payment in kind.

Patachitras are made in two formats: the vertically scrolled paintings, the horizontally scrolled ones, both referred to as Jodano or Gutano Pata and the smaller square or rectangular formats, known as Chouko Pata.