Goddess Chamunda (Shodash Matrikas) | Watercolor on Patti

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This goddess Chamunda Pattachitra painting shows her seated on a carved stone platform in the posture of royal ease or Lalitasana. Her skin is the color of smoke and fine lines are used by the painter to highlight its haggardness. Devi Chamunda’s long tresses are unbraided; she wears a jeweled tiara-like crown, ornaments of gold as well as those fashioned out of human body parts.

A distinctively placed Chandra (crescent moon) embellishes Devi’s crown, a Mundamala (garland of skulls) frames her body and a macabre girdle of severed fingers clasps her waist. Matrika Chamunda is in her four-armed form, holding a Khadaga (sickle) and a severed head, with her main left hand wrapped around a young boy sitting in her lap.

The most stunning part of this Maa Chamunda Pattachitra is Devi’s visage, with bulging eyes, lolling red tongue, and mouth covered in dripping blood. In the Hindu tradition, goddess Chamunda is described as the warring mother goddess who emanated from Durga and in a great battle with Chanda and Munda, slayed their armies and drank every last drop of the blood of her opponents. Due to her blood-tinted tongue, goddess Chamunda is also connected with Maa Kali, the dark-skinned fierce goddess.

Looking at the boy in the lap of Devi Chamunda, one wonders at the calmness on his face as well as the affection felt in Chamunda’s embrace, through which the great mother seems to be pouring her protective love onto the child. Through a perfected representation of goddess Chamunda’s paradoxical nature- as the supreme annihilator and a celestial mother, this Pattachitra enriches our understanding of the metaphysical depths of Tantric Hinduism.

Mastering the Ancient Technique: Exploring the Meticulous Creation of Pattachitra Paintings

The traditional Pattachitra is a scroll painting that is done on cloth. This is revealed in the name; Pattachitra is a Sanskrit term made from two words i.e. Patta meaning cloth and Chitra meaning picture. The main subject of this painting is portraying Hindu mythological narratives, scenes from religious texts, and folktales. Pattachitra paintings are especially practiced in eastern Indian states such as West Bengal and Odisha, and also in some parts of Bangladesh. This art form is closely related to Shri Jagannath and the tradition of the Vaishnava sect. It is believed that Pattachitra art originated in the 11th century and the people of Odisha practice it even today without any discrepancy. Bengalis use these scroll paintings for ritual purposes (as a visual device) during the performance of a song or Aarti.

Pattachitra paintings are characterized by creative and traditional motifs/designs, decorative borders, and bright colorful applications. The outline of the figure and motifs are bold and sharp. Some common shapes and motifs seen in these paintings are trees, flowers, leaves, elephants, and other creatures. The artists of Odisha and Bengal still use the traditional method of painting which gives a unique look to it altogether.

1. Canvas is prepared

The process of painting a Pattachitra begins by preparing the canvas (patta). Generally, cotton cloth is used for making the canvas. The local artists dip the cotton cloth in a mixture of tamarind seeds and water for a few days. The cloth is then taken out and dried in the sun. Now natural gum is applied over it to stick another layer of cotton cloth on it. Thus a thick layer of cotton cloth is formed. This layered cotton is sun-dried and a paste of chalk powder, tamarind, and gum is applied on both sides. The surface of the cloth is then rubbed with two different stones for smoothening and it is again dried. This process gives the cloth a leathery finish and it is now ready to be painted.

2. Natural colors are made using traditional method

The painters prepare and use vegetable and mineral colors for application in the painting. White color is made from conch shells, black is made by burning coconut shells, Hingula is used for red color, Ramaraja for blue, and Haritala for yellow.

3. Colors are filled in

The artist now makes a double-lined border on all four sides of the canvas. The local artists are so expert in painting that they do not draw figures and motifs with pencil but directly draw them with a brush. The paint brushes that the painters use are made of the hair of domestic animals, a bunch of which is tied to the end of a bamboo stick. The figures are now painted with natural colors using the indigenous brushes. The outline is thickened with black color.

4. Painting is given a finishing

Finally, the painting is varnished/glazed to protect it from any damage and to get a glossy shine on the surface.

The making of a Pattachitra is laborious work and therefore, one painting may sometimes take over a month to complete. Due to their classical look, these paintings are admired by people from all over the world. The artistic skills used in Pattachitra are passed down from one generation to another and thus are preserved to date.