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Art and Handicrafts in Orissa
Having an ancient tradition of making splendid pieces of
art by hands Oriya artists have long been presenting
their awe inspiring master pieces to the world. There
are a lot of handicrafts that have been running as the
life force in the cultural land of Orissa. Some of which
include- Patta Chitra, Sand Art, Metal Work, Silver
Filigree, Stone Carving and making Puppets and Masks
etc.
Patta chitras are miniature paintings, used as
wall hangings with religious themes as their subject
matter. Legends from the lives of Lord Krishna are
mainly depicted on this specially treated cloth known as
Patta.
Developed over the years, this art form has
helped a distinct school of painting to evolve. Having
its origin in Sanskrit language, the word Patta Chitra
literally means a painted piece of cloth. This
ritualistic art observes a fine blend of sophisticated
art and folk element in the form of rich colors. The
skilled hands of the talented artisans present blood
red, red ochre, lamp black, yellow, white and indigo in
a unique way as they pretend to be offsetting each
other.
These pattas are carried back home by pilgrims to Puri
as precious mementos. Practiced widely in Raghurajpur
and Dandshahi villages at the outskirts of Puri, these
pattas have become synonymous to the place.
Another famous handicraft of Orissa is also based at Puri.
This implies carving a sand sculpture with just clean
and fine-grained sand mixed with water. Attractive
sculptures are carved out of this sand by the Oriya
artists.Dating back to fourteenth century A.D. the
origin of this art is associated to Poet Balaram Das,
the author of Dandi Ramayan.Very eye catching and
splendidly beautiful, this art form has gained immense
popularity with the development of tourism.
The artists of Cuttack have also invariably contributed to
enrich their tradition in the form of an art known as
Silver Filigree. Owing its popularity to this art form
only the silverware or Trakashi of Orissa is very widely
known.
Thin wires drawn from beaten silver and foils are fashioned
to make unique examples of artistic excellence. Forms of
animals and birds, small show pieces, fine pieces of
Jewellery and articles of daily use like vermilion
receptacles are made by the filigree artists that are
popular the world over.
Artists of Orissa create miraculous master pieces of art
practicing yet other crafts too that are now not popular
in India but across the globe as well.
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