Lord Ganesha Dancing and Stretching a Snake Over His Head (Framed)

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Lord Ganesha is the Hindu god of new beginnings. This springs from him also being the remover of obstacles, leading his followers to pray to him before making major life decisions. Many rites and ceremonies also invoke him at the beginning of the worship. Lord Ganesha is also a patron of the arts and wisdom. His elephant head makes him one of the most recognizable gods in the Hindu tradition and even outside of India.

Lord Ganesha Dancing and Stretching a Snake Over His Head is a watercolor painting on Patti made by artist Pravakar Das. This is a prime example of folk art from the Temple Town Puri (in Orissa). It depicts Lord Ganesha in his most iconic form featuring an elephant head and a rounded belly. He also has only one tusk and is drawn with eight hands while his trunk is trained on a sweet on one of his hands. The mouse is also present near his feat, symbolizing his power to overcome big and small obstacles. The serpent is also another animal that is usually present in depictions of Ganesha. Stories say that Ganesha wrapped a serpent on his belly to keep the sweets from spilling over after the mouse which carries him stumbles and made him fall. This imagery is often included in various depictions of Ganesha and the snake, either as a belt or held above his head by his hands.

The color palette used includes midnight blue, white, and pale yellow which can also symbolize Ganesha’s serpent story with the darkness of the night when the moon was shot by Lord Ganesha after the cosmic being laughed at him from tripping and spilling the content of his stomach. The moon, the mouse, the serpent, and Ganesha's belly remains a powerful and candid representation of how the cosmos (his stomach) is tied together by the serpent energy (kundalini) that holds everything together.

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Item Code:	PW73
Artist:	Pravakar Das
Specifications:	Water Color Painting on Patti Folk Art From The Temple Town Puri (Orissa)Artist: Pravakar Das
Dimensions	19.5 inch x 25.5 inch - Frame 12 inch x 18 inch - Painting

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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.