Find out why Raghurajpur is known as the Heritage village of Odisha

      

Raghurajpur, the heritage village of Odisha and there is more than one reason why the place has earned this prestigious title. Situated in the Puri district of the state, the place has created its own identity in the cultural map of India. The village is basically located in the environs of coconut groves, jack fruit and mango trees. Raghurajpur basically exudes a quaint atmosphere what with its decoration in an unrivalled art form like mural painting. The village is an epitome of nature and its scenic views offers a soothing vibe to the visitors. Read on to know what sets Raghurajpur apart from other villages of the state as to get the tag of heritage village.

The land of art

 When one hears the name of ‘Raghurajpur, the first thing that comes to mind is it’s exceptional art forms like Pattachitra painting and Gotipua dance form. Furthermore there is no such place exist in the world other than Raghurajpur where one can witness the assemblage of artworks in one particular place. Moreover, the tranquil backdrop of the village perfectly suits the creative inclination of the artisans. What’s more, each family cherishes the legacy of art which they have inherited from their ancestors. No doubt, the way all the families of the village is engaged in creating the art form of Pattachitra painting, they even nurture the same legacy in order to pass it on to their next generation.

Offers diversified art forms

The village is home to various art forms like Pattachitra painting, palm leaf engravings, stone inscriptions, papier mache, mural painting and Tassar painting. These exquisite art forms basically testify the profoundly rich heritage of the village. When it comes to Pattachitra painting, these paintings depict many mythological stories. Moreover, these paintings are generally based on Hindu deities and are greatly inspired from Jagannath and Vaishnava cult.   

Furthermore, the renowned dance form called Gotipua is another major aspect that hugely contributes in making Raghurajpur, a heritage villageof Odisha. Basically, the dance form is considered to be the precursor of Odissi dance form. Furthermore, majorly Gotipua is performed by the boys, who dressed up as women in order to praise lord Jagannath and lord Krishna. This is a century old dance form of Odisha and particularly in Raghurajpur one can find many Gotipua dance troupes. The village even offers the institution where the little boys can be seen getting trained by their gurus. Needless to say, the fact that Raghurajpur is the birth place of the legendary Odissi exponent Kelucharan Mohaptra is an added charm for the dance lovers all over the place.

The village which preserves culture

Indeed, Raghurajpur has rightly acquired the title of heritage village as no other village can be found of same kind. Had it not been for this village, today’s generation would have been deprived of many socio-cultural objects and art forms. The specialty of this village is; each family has taken up the responsibility to keep its age -old tradition alive and it is their spirit which sets this village apart from many other villages of the state and moreover makes it apt for the title ‘heritage village.’

Want to experience heritage tourism!!! Visit Raghurajpur, the heritage village of Odisha for the worthy experience.

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Pattachitra Painting in Odisha - The Tale of a Glorious Art Form

Pattachitra painting in Odisha is still the most precious artwork which has managed to retain its relevance even in this modern world.  This art form is one of the most ancient painting which came into existence around 5^th century B.C. moreover basically this art form derive its inspiration from the Hindu mythology. Some of the best work of the painting can be found in and around the holy city of Puri specifically in the village of Raghurajpur. Read on to know more about Pattachitra painting in Odisha.

·         Some knowhow on the themes and style of Pattachitra painting in Odisha

The theme of Pattachitra paintings generally circles around the great lord Jagannath as well as the Vaishnava cult.  Right from the commencement of Pattachitra painting in Odisha, Lord Jagannath has been an integral source of inspiration. Mostly the idea of the paintings is based on mythology, folklores as well as on religious stories and legends. Be it the interesting stories of Lord Krishna or lord Ganesha or for that matter the famous car festival of Puri, one can find many intriguing and interesting stories depicted through this beautiful art form called Pattachitra painting.

No doubt, the whole Pattachitra cultures are basically the perfect blend of both folk as well as the classical factor however it is the folklores which dominates. The best part about Pattachitra painting is; it can be customized and one can demand to have a theme of his/her own choice. Perhaps, it is this customized aspect which has greatly helped this art form to even thrive even in this modern generation.

·            Find out the procedure that is followed to create this art work

The painters who carry out the responsibility of creating this treasured painting are called Chitrakaras. Basically the paintings are done on a tiny strip of a cloth. whereby the canvas is put in order by coating the cloth with chalk and gum, the ones that are prepared with the help of tamarind seeds. Moreover the Chitrakaras rub it with the support of two different stones and leaves the cloth to dry. The blend of chalk and gum basically offers the surface of the cloth a gristly finish on which the Chitrakaras (artists) paints with diversified natural colors like vegetable, earth as well as stone. The artists mostly prefer to sketch the lines in either yellow or for that matter light red colors and eventually the colors are filled in.  In order to enhance the shine of the painting, after the final lines are drawn, the pattas are given a lacquer quoting which also helps in shielding it from weather.

·         The place which has helped in preserving this  classic artwork of Pattachitra panting in Odisha

Raghurajpur is known as the heritage village of Odisha where one can find an artist (Chitrakar) in each residing family moreover one can view each house has a studio. Indeed this village plays a great role in the preservation of this magnum opus called Pattachitrapainting in Odisha.

Pattachitra painting in Odisha is an invaluable contribution to the world of artworks

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Palm Leaf Engraving in Odisha – The Artwork Which Bridges the Gap Between Culture and Modernism

Palm leaf engraving in Odisha is one of the most olden and worthy artwork which has still been preserved greatly by the verdant artists’ village of Raghurajpur. This particular art form has created a different kind of enigma among the people globally.  And it is for this reason; people from different parts of the world pays a visit to the heritage village Raghurajpur just in order to get a better understanding of this immensely beautiful art form.  Palm leaf engravings basically date back to medieval epoch. Read on to know more about palm leaf engraving in Odisha. 

• The real deal of work: In order to create this magnificent art, a great deal of time and efforts are put in by the artists of Raghurajpur. First and foremost the unripe palm leaves are cut and left to be semidried, furthermore those semidried palm leaves get buried in quagmire for approximately about 4-5 days and this whole process helps in making the palm leaves seasoned. Whereby these palm leaves are stitched and sewn collectively as and when required and thereby the painters get started with the preparation of etching.  

Etchings of the palm leaves are carried out with the help of an object similar to pen on the leaf strips. The images as well as the motifs are mainly etched on the surface of the palm leaf basically with the sole intention of highlighting its beauty and making it noticeable. Furthermore, a paste is made out of charcoal burnt coconut shells, oil and turmeric and this particular paste is poured on the etchings, which goes on to define the whole lines and figures. When it comes to the colors, they are mostly applied as fillers moreover in an extremely subdued tone and moreover the used colors are mainly of vegetable dyes.   

• Themes weaved in varied ways: One can find diverse kind of palm leaf engraving in Odisha which is based on many strikingly different themes. Palm leaf engravings are basically inspired from mythological events. The way the painters weave the stories, legends and folklores in this beautiful art form certainly deserves all the praise and adulation.  Palm leaf engravings in Odisha derive their major inspiration from both Jagannath and Vaishnava cult and furthermore legends of  Gita Govinda, Ramayana, Mahabharata, Chaitanya’s life story  as well as the life stories of Buddha and Jaina are also amazingly weaved as themes in palm leaf engraving paintings.  

• Carved a niche in the modern world: One of the biggest and major reasons for the sustainability of palm leaf engraving is; it has managed to be still relevant in this modern and contemporary world and generation.  The way palm leaf engraving has evolved and made a great transition from the walls of majestic temples to the living room of a contemporary abode simply goes on to state its demand even in this era. One can view many stunning designs of palm leaf engravings in restaurants as a wall hanging. It is indeed commendable that palm leaf engraving is mainly considered by today’s generation as a highly valued decorative piece.   Whereby, the market and the value of palm leaf engravings are only growing by leaps and bounds with each passing day. 

The saga of palm leaf engraving in Odisha continues...

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The Minutiae of Palmleaf Engraving in Odisha

Palm leaf engraving in Odisha is one of the most primal art form, which to this date is highly revered.   In the ancient era, palm leaf was basically used for various purposes. For the longest period of time, palm leaf was the sole tool of writing.  Moreover, it was also used to write the horoscope by the professional horoscope makers. It is the Cuttack district of Odisha, where this beautiful and treasured art form was commenced.  In Odisha, if this particular art form has still managed to thrive, it is all thanks to the families of Raghurajpur. The Chitrakars of this tiny village, which falls under the Puri territory of Odisha, practice this particular craft traditionally. In each and every family of the village, one can find a chitrakar and witness that each house has been developed as the Chitrakars studio. 

Palm leaf engraving in details:

•Method: Basically, the technique of palm leaves engraving commences with the selection of similar size of leaves. Furthermore the collected unripe palm leaves are trimmed and semidried, later the Chitrakars bury the leaves in marsh for few days.  Subsequently, the palm leaves are sewed collectively as per the demand.  Sometimes they are sewed post the completion of etching. Etching basically takes place inside the lines by utilizing the iron pen on the strips of the leaf. Afterwards, a mixture of charcoal of burnt coconut shells, oil and turmeric is poured on the etching to define the figures. It is only for the fillers that colors are put into use, nonetheless this hardly demands any color. Basically, vegetable and mineral colors get used for the palm leaf engraving. 

• Themes: when it comes to palm leaf engraving in Odisha, one can see diversified themes in these paintings. But all in the lines of mythology.  Legends of Ramayana, Mahabharata or for that matter legend of some folklore are some of the themes which dominate palm leaf engraving.

Beautifully etched designs of Radha Krishna story, Lord Jagannath, Goddess Durga and Saraswati can also be found as the central themes of this craft.

• Types of Palm leaf engraving: Basically, the palm leaf engraving is of two types.  First one is the simple engravings or illustrations in pure line on palm leaf and the second one is engraving with color fillings. Mostly the palm leaf engravings in Odisha are quite simple. In the olden time, horoscopes for infants were made on palm leaf and it was regarded as simple engravings.

When it comes to color engravings, they mostly come into use during the process of engravings. In these particular engravings, colors are subdued and play an extremely trivial role. Whatever little color is applied, it is either to accentuate the inscriptions or to fill the blank areas. Essentially, religious texts cover the major part of color engravings. 

Despite the invention of Printing press in Odisha, people still make use of palm leaf engraving for printing some really significant texts. This clearly indicates the value, this great art form commands.

                 Indeed, palm leaf engraving in Odisha deserves all the adulation it receives.

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