Patachitra is an
age old tradition of storytelling in eastern India. In this unique art
form where oral tradition meets the visual structures of a narrative, the bard
presents the story with pictures and simultaneously narrates a song
called Pater Gaan. The word Pata is derived from
the Sanskrit and Pali word Patta, which means “cloth".Chitra means
“picture". The painter community is called Patua. All of them bear
the last name Chitrakar, meaning painter. The Patuas use
colors extracted from various trees, leaves, fruits, flowers, seeds and rocks. Traditionally,
the paintings were on mythological stories. Nowadays, Patuas paint scrolls on
contemporary social issues ranging from violence against women to climate
change.
There are 60 families of Patuas at Naya village in Paschim Medinipore district of the state of West Bengal where this storytelling tradition is still practiced. POT Maya is the annual festival of the Patuas of Naya, Pingla. 2016 marked the 7th edition of their festival organized from November 11-13.
There are 60 families of Patuas at Naya village in Paschim Medinipore district of the state of West Bengal where this storytelling tradition is still practiced. POT Maya is the annual festival of the Patuas of Naya, Pingla. 2016 marked the 7th edition of their festival organized from November 11-13.
Over the last couple of years the Patuas have observed a
unique change in the behavior of local people who are presently showing
interest and buying Patachitra which earlier would only be restricted to
the foreigners and urban people and they credit this to their festival. The community's
progress is recognizable and they want to work more to ensure the art tradition
is safeguarded in totality and feel the urgency to transmit not just the
product making skills but also the singing skills and the stories.
The festival visitors, learnt about the festival from
different blogs. Apart from enjoying the colorful Patachitra scrolls and songs
depicting different stories, the visitors also appreciated the cultural
performances put up during the festival. The newly developed Folk Art Centre
with captivating display of the community art also screens documentaries on the
art form. The centre has lodging facilities for visitors.
This year there was a collaborative musical presentation by Duo Fatale, two musicians from Switzerland traveling across West Bengal. The Swiss musicians loved the vibrancy of the village and felt the art is very rich and sets an example for the world.
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