A centuries-old cloth-painting tradition from Odisha, where mythology unfolds through intricate line and colour.
Pattachitra tells the great stories — Jagannath, Krishna, the epics — in fine linework and rich natural colour, held within ornate borders. The techniques pass down through Chitrakar families, and are still practised much as they always have been.
Pattachitra has been painted in Odisha for centuries, closely tied to the temple town of Puri and the worship of Lord Jagannath. Chitrakar means picture-maker, and the families who carry the name have earned it for generations.
The patta — the cloth — is prepared with chalk and tamarind-gum paste, then polished smooth. Artists paint in natural colours with brushes of animal hair, finishing with intricate borders. There is no pencil under-drawing; the line comes straight from the hand.
The paintings narrate mythology — Jagannath, Krishna, the Ramayana and Mahabharata — and traditionally served pilgrims as sacred keepsakes when the temple closed for ritual bathing.
In Raghurajpur and Puri, Pattachitra remains a living temple art; its linework and storytelling now reach collectors far beyond Odisha.
Pattachitra paintings currently with us. Tap any work to view it larger and enquire.
