Pattachitra Paintings

The Pattachitra Paintings are done on specially prepared cotton cloth, which is coated with a mixture of gum and chalk. The word Patta Chitra is derived from Sanskrit word Patta, which means a painted piece of cloth, a tablet, or a plate. Chitra means painting or picture. Craftsmen carve effigies out of wood and paint them in vivid, primary colors. Bright altars for the homes of devotees are nailed together with a jeweler’s care, and then painted. The paper on which  the Pattachitras are painted is specially prepared using a paste made of tamarind seeds and powdered chalk. This makes it parchment - tough. Using delicate brushes , the fine outlines of the paintings are drawn. Pattachitra Paintings are then filled in with colors to create pictures from the epics like Mahabharata and Ramayana.