Destruction of A Non Believer of God (The Ten Incarnations of Lord Vishnu)

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Pattachitra is one of the ancient artworks of Odisha, popularly used as a souvenir for people visiting the temple town of Puri and is characterized by depictions of a mix of both classical and folk elements, but majorly focusing on the folk criteria. The creativity of Pattachitra paintings depict mainly mythological themes, taking inspiration from Lord Jagannatha and the Vaishnava sect. This Narasimha painting depicts all the iconic attributes of a beautiful pattachitra using bright colours that make the protagonist stand out with its accurate qualities. This painting depicts the scene where Lord Narasimha (Vishnu’s incarnation) won over Lord Brahma’s boon to Hiranyakashipu that the demon could neither be killed by a man nor by an animal; neither at day nor at night; neither at home nor outside; neither on the ground nor in the sky; neither by a weapon nor by supernatural powers, by contradicting all the conditions in his avatar and way of killing.

Real pattachitras are shown with a negligible background, focusing just on the scenes to be portrayed. Similar to the way shown here, Lord Narasimha takes a posture as if sitting on a throne with Hiranyakashipu lying on his laps and Prahlada in obeisance near his feet and background barely visible. Lord Vishnu incarnated in the form of the body of a human and the face of a lion (Narasimha) and killed the demon Hiranyakashipu at dusk at the threshold of his house by making lie on his lap and executing him with his claws. The wide-open eyes in red, blood-filled tongue and long pointed teeth protruding out, hair dishevelled around the face are an indication of the ferocious expression of Lord Narasimha.

The painter has used a beautiful interplay of colours while painting every feature of this art; the blue aureole behind the head is symbolic of Narasimha’s divinity. The scene seems to be taking place under a temple arched background filled with floral motifs and a deep green coloured frame painted in an alluring pattern of flowers and leaves. If you are a core Vishnu bhakt, have this Narasimha pattachitra art on your wall space for beautiful and spiritual ornamentation.

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Item Code:	PX13
Artist:	Rabi Behera
Specifications:	WATER COLOR PAINTING ON PATTI FOLK ART FROM THE TEMPLE TOWN PURI (ORISSA)Artist Rabi Behera
Dimensions	17.2 INCH HEIGHT x 11.6 INCH WIDTH

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Mastering the Ancient Technique: Exploring the Meticulous Creation of Pattachitra Paintings

The traditional Pattachitra is a scroll painting that is done on cloth. This is revealed in the name; Pattachitra is a Sanskrit term made from two words i.e. Patta meaning cloth and Chitra meaning picture. The main subject of this painting is portraying Hindu mythological narratives, scenes from religious texts, and folktales. Pattachitra paintings are especially practiced in eastern Indian states such as West Bengal and Odisha, and also in some parts of Bangladesh. This art form is closely related to Shri Jagannath and the tradition of the Vaishnava sect. It is believed that Pattachitra art originated in the 11th century and the people of Odisha practice it even today without any discrepancy. Bengalis use these scroll paintings for ritual purposes (as a visual device) during the performance of a song or Aarti.

Pattachitra paintings are characterized by creative and traditional motifs/designs, decorative borders, and bright colorful applications. The outline of the figure and motifs are bold and sharp. Some common shapes and motifs seen in these paintings are trees, flowers, leaves, elephants, and other creatures. The artists of Odisha and Bengal still use the traditional method of painting which gives a unique look to it altogether.

1. Canvas is prepared

The process of painting a Pattachitra begins by preparing the canvas (patta). Generally, cotton cloth is used for making the canvas. The local artists dip the cotton cloth in a mixture of tamarind seeds and water for a few days. The cloth is then taken out and dried in the sun. Now natural gum is applied over it to stick another layer of cotton cloth on it. Thus a thick layer of cotton cloth is formed. This layered cotton is sun-dried and a paste of chalk powder, tamarind, and gum is applied on both sides. The surface of the cloth is then rubbed with two different stones for smoothening and it is again dried. This process gives the cloth a leathery finish and it is now ready to be painted.

2. Natural colors are made using traditional method

The painters prepare and use vegetable and mineral colors for application in the painting. White color is made from conch shells, black is made by burning coconut shells, Hingula is used for red color, Ramaraja for blue, and Haritala for yellow.

3. Colors are filled in

The artist now makes a double-lined border on all four sides of the canvas. The local artists are so expert in painting that they do not draw figures and motifs with pencil but directly draw them with a brush. The paint brushes that the painters use are made of the hair of domestic animals, a bunch of which is tied to the end of a bamboo stick. The figures are now painted with natural colors using the indigenous brushes. The outline is thickened with black color.

4. Painting is given a finishing

Finally, the painting is varnished/glazed to protect it from any damage and to get a glossy shine on the surface.

The making of a Pattachitra is laborious work and therefore, one painting may sometimes take over a month to complete. Due to their classical look, these paintings are admired by people from all over the world. The artistic skills used in Pattachitra are passed down from one generation to another and thus are preserved to date.

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