Rasalila Pattachitra Frame

Pattachitra literally translates to a traditional cloth-based scroll painting. This beautiful art form has its roots in the eastern states of Odisha and West Bengal. Most ancient Indian art forms emerged as being dedicated to some or the other Indian God/Goddess and Pattachitra is no exception. This art form is closely related to Lord Jagannath and its typical characteristics being a mandatory floral border, elongated eyes, use of solid natural colours that make them vibrant and beautiful. These paintings are created on small strips of cotton cloth, coating them with a mixture of chalk and paste made of tamarind seeds. The colours are all made using natural ingredients like conch shell ( for white) Hingua ( for red) etc. The paintings are expensive because of the elaborate process of creating the canvas and colours.