by Sayantan bhattacharjee https://instagram.com/sayantan_bhattacharjee05?igshid=1foq0sguqfl84
Odisha [ formerly known as Orissa] got its name from the ancient Prakrit word “Odda Visaya [ also “Udra Bibhasa” or “odra Bibhasa”] as in the Tirumalai inscriptions of Rajendra Chola I which is dated to 1205. Sarala Das, the one who translated Mahabharata into the Odia language in the 15th century, calls the region Odra Rashtra and Odisha. The inscriptions of Kapilendra Deva of the Gajapati Kingdom dated between 1435- 1467 C.E. on the walls of the temples in Puri call the region Odisha or Odisha Rajya. The presence of early human settlement has been found in this area as archaeologists found Prehistoric Acheulian tools dating to Lower Paleolithic era. If we go through the Mahabharat properly we can find references of the Sabar people, who are considered to be one of the ancient tribes of Odisha. Baudhayana mentions that Kalinga was not at all influenced by all the Vedic traditions and practices that were followed at that point of time implying that it followed mostly tribal traditions.
The antiquity of Odishan art and architecture is dated back from 261 B.C. when Ashoka, the then King of Magadha conquered Odisha, then known as Kalinga. The existing ancient monuments present a varied and interesting study for research scholars worldwide. Odisha is full of archaeological treasures dating from the prehistoric times up to the end of the Muslim rule in the middle of the sixteenth century.The excavations at Sisupalgarh and Jaugada proves the presence of a highly developed pre-historic civilization in Odisha.
The caves of Udaygiri and Khandagiri represents the Odishan cave architecture dating back to the 1st century B.C. The caves were cut out in the solid rocks as per the orders of king Kharavela for the use of Jain ascetics. These show the predominance of skilled labours for building monolithic structures during that era. There are altogether 18 caves in Udaygiri and 15 caves in Khandagiri and each of them is decorated with sculptural motifs. One of the most prominent caves in Udaygiri which shows the architectural extravaganza present at that point of time is the “Ranigumpha cave” which is a two-storeyed structure and bears highly artistic sculptures. The caves consist of multiple cells and few of them are fronted by pillared verandahs. The sculptures of Khandairi and Udayagiri forms a landmark in the history of Indian art. They together portray a vivid picture of the contemporary societies and holds an important place in the rock-cut architecture of India.
Odisha’s art and craft are the elements which are used to ornament the facades of the vernacular houses, and it gives us a clear insight that how people of this region has inculcated the trend of showcasing their rich culture to the visitors and are also trying to preserve them.
Patachitra: Puri the city of lord Jagganath introduced the world a new art form known as patachitra. These are basically paintings on a piece of cloth. Since clothes can be easily transported and it gives an extended smooth surface as well. It was discovered when there was an absence of paper. The way by which this art is prepared has it’s own vernacular essence, small strips of cloth are prepared for the painting by a coating of a mixture of glue and chalk which adds a leathery finish to it. The outlines are then drawn directly in red or yellow and then the other colours are subsequently filled in. Finally, it is given a lacquer coating to protect it from climatic effects. For this process of varnishing and glazing, the top part is brushed with a fine layer of lacquer and the back of the painting is exposed to heat.
These are extensively used for interior decoration purposes as it gives an ethnic touch to the interiors.
Even today the chitrakars of Odisha use vegetable and mineral colours.
Red: mineral colour stone – stone ingredient – Hingula
White: filtering, powdering, boiling – Conch Shells
Blue: kind of indigo –Ramaraja
Yellow: processed – Harithala
Black: lampblack – Burnt coconut shells.
The brushes they use are very crude and are made from hairs of domestic animals.
Applique: Applique work in Odisha originated as a temple art and was started by the artisans of Pipli a village 40 km from Puri. Applique [ a French term] is a technique by which the ornamental effect is achieved by superimposing patches of coloured fabrics on a basic fabric, the edges of the patches are sewn in the form of stitchery. It is distinct from what is known as patchwork.
These coloured clothes are stitched in the shape of animals, birds, flowers and beautiful wall, a lampshade and other decorative hanging items. Even sari and other attire are designed in applique work which is gaining huge popularity in the national as well as international market. Tiny mirrors are either stuck or stitched by thread embroidery to create a remarkable work of art. Colours like black, red, white and yellow are mainly used to create this type of artwork whereas green has also been added in recent times.
Rock paintings/sculptors: Odisha has an old tradition of paintings from the prehistoric rock shelters to the temples and maths of this century. Out of the traditional painters / the tribal; painter, rock painters, and the folk are of significance.
Talpatachitras: These are the palm leaf engravings consists of illustrations of frozen linear drawing of manuscripts. Colours played a very minor role in these manuscripts and were only applied either to fill up the empty space or to emphasize the inscriptions. In Odisha, Manuscripts were written on palm leaves even in the Mughal Raj when the paper was available abundantly. In the limited space of the oblong palm leaf with a small width, human figures completed with details of hairstyle and dress, animals, flowers and trees are executed with great precision and beauty, the tool of this art is a sharp style and it needs a remarkable steady hand to able to wield this tool on the strip of the leaf. These talapatachitras have an affinity with the Rajasthani miniatures both in the treatment colour scheme and composition.
Jhoti: These are the murals which are put up on the walls and are generally white in colour as they are made up of rice paste or pithau. These are put up during the auspicious occasions specially during the of Margasira where women folk worship the goddess Lakshmi. It is the harvest season when the grain is thrashed and stored.
When the country is progressing and its different cities are adapting them to the modern and futuristic architecture, Odisha being amongst the list of oldest cities is still preserving it’s rich heritage and culture of its artworks and has also become a matter of international interest.
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