Eternal Beauty Wandering on Its Way
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
ISSN 0970-8669 Odisha Review Eternal Beauty Wandering on its Way An unbroken history of the unusual people of this attitude of the people who even today never tire land, has continued since several centuries before of building tiny temples through spontaneous Christ. It has left its imprint in the shape of popular efforts in every new locality. Artisans are numerous monuments and every passing day, engaged in making articles of decoration required excavation brings to light more and more of such for festival days in temples and households, which sites from almost all parts of the state. They reveal has not only provided them their living but also the existence of a flourishing civilization, striking opportunities for artistic expression. Whether the by any standard. Few other cultures in all the articles be tie-and-dye textile or applique work, senses of the term are as rich and as varied. In terracotta, lacquer or brassware, filigree the sphere of religion and philosophy, tribal and ornaments or Patta painting of gods, all these have Aryan religions, Buddhism and Jainism, Islam and made the daily life of Odishan people artistic and Christianity — all have existed in history and they offer them avenues for trade and commerce in continue side by side even now as a testimony to other parts of the country and even abroad. The the religious tolerance of the people of this land. once-flourishing state of maritime trade and In art and architecture, centuries of history survive commerce of this land bears testimony to this fact. in the shape of temples and even today they Varieties of entertainment in the shape of survive in replicas which provide livelihood to the music, dance, drama and literature recorded in descendants of the ancient practitioners of these palm-leaf manuscripts and in stone carvings in arts. temples, reflects a high degree of excellence. Through centuries Odisha has retained its Initially there was folk art in songs, music, dance cultural identity within the mainstream of pan- and drama but these were later refined into classical Indian culture. Its social customs and mores are music, dance, drama and literature and these too expressed in the long list of festivals connected have survived the onslaughts of time and have been with an agrarian calendar. Its gods are human and resuscitated and promoted since our whether they reside in big temples like Jagannath Independence. It is no exaggeration to say that or Lingaraj or small village shrines, they come out no aspect of the life of this people was untouched to visit their votaries on festival days. Its unusually by its very exceptionally high degree of artistic large number of temples reflect the religious sensibility. 4 NOVEMBER - 2019 Odisha Review ISSN 0970-8669 A land of rich and diverse artistic occasion a specific motif is drawn on the floor or achievements, Odisha’s art and culture are the on the wall. For instance, in Lakshmipuja a stack products of a long historical process in which the of paddy or rice sheaves is drawn on the walls spiritual, philosophical and the humane dimensions structured like a pyramid. During Durga Puja, have merged to yield the finest effects of cultured white dots superimposed with red are painted on and civilised life. The cultural heritage of Odisha the walls. This combination of red and white is reflected in its vibrant art forms. Culture imparts signifies the worship of Shiva and Shakti. To draw flavour and life to the social and religious activities a jhoti or chita, the fingers are dipped into the of the people. It flows as an under-current of rice paste and made to trace out intricate patterns inspiration below the surface of daily life and acts on the floor or walls. Sometimes a kind of brush as a powerful link in the chain of human fellowship is prepared from a twig to one end of which a and universal concord. small piece of cloth is attached. This is dipped into the white rice paste to draw patterns on the Odisha has a distinct tradition of painting, wall. At times, the paste is sprinkled on the walls architecture, sculpture, handicrafts, music and with delicate swishes of the wrist, and a pattern dance. resembling bunches of paddy emerges on the wall. The Odishan school of painting has three The chitas are also drawn on grain bins, on small streams which in their totality project its pavilions for household deities, on the threshold distinguishing aspects. These are the tribal, the of homes and on earthen pots used during marriage folk and the classical. There is a constant and on other auspicious occasions. interchange of ideas and motifs among the three Muruja is drawn on the floor with streams, and these interchanges have helped to powders of different hues. White powder is enrich the repertoire of Odishan Art. obtained from the grinding of stones, green JHOTI, CHITA, MURUJA powder is obtained from dry leaves, black from The folk art of Odisha is bound up with burnt coconut shells, yellow from the petals of the social and religious activities. In the month of marigold flowers or turmeric, and red from red Margasira, women folk worship the goddess clay or bricks. Muruja is generally drawn during Lakshmi. It is the harvest season when grain is rituals in the form of mandalas. In the holy month thrashed and stored. During this auspicious of Karttik (November) women observe penance occasion, the mud walls and floors are decorated and draw muruja designs near the Tulsi plant. with murals in white rice paste or pithau. They Drawing of muruja designs needs a lot of skill are called jhoti or chita and are drawn not merely and practice. The powder is held between the with the intention of decorating the house, but to tips of the thumb and the forefinger, and allowed establish a relationship, between the mystical and to fall delicately through them to form lines and the material, thus being highly symbolical and patterns which are a delight to the eye testifying meaningful. Folk painting in this tradition survives to the innate skill of the practitioners who are till today in all its pristine freshness. Throughout generally women. the year, the village women perform several rituals The rustic people of Odisha used to for the fulfillment of their desires. For each cover their bodies with tattoo marks. Tattooing is NOVEMBER - 2019 5 ISSN 0970-8669 Odisha Review also referred to as Kutei Chita and carried out by paintings in these natural caves are coloured with pricking the skin and applying black soot. A tattoo the help of a twig of a palm tree, turned, into a mark on a woman is believed to symbolise brush by hammering its fibrous end. The paintings chastity. Some believe that it is a shield against differ form place to place. For example, in most the torture of Yama, the God of Death, or a means rock shelters the paintings are mostly linear. But whereby one’s soul attains salvation. in Manikamada, the paintings have a more pictorial quality and are of a greater variety and range in Tribal Paintings their depiction of figures and nature. Here the Odisha has a rich tribal culture. The paintings have received several coats of paint and Sauras, the Kondhs and the Santals decorate their are thick in texture, while there are some others houses with motifs of flowers, birds and which have been very roughly sketched. In geometrical designs. The Saura paintings are Yogimath the paintings are clear and rendered in intimately related to religious beliefs and drawn in red-ochre lines. Usually the rear walls and ceilings order to appease demigods and spirits. On the are covered with paintings. While the painting on occasion of animal sacrifices, the Sauras draw the walls follow a sequential, horizontal pattern, ittals on their walls. The themes of these paintings those on the ceilings have no definite scheme of are usually dream sequences. A medley of objects composition. It is interesting to note that he such as a comb or even a bicycle may figure in paintings range from small geometrical and floral modern Saura paintings. The Kondh wall paintings patterns to big animal motifs like deer, cattle, stag are generally in the form of geometrical designs. and sambar. Where human figures are present, The Santals also paint their houses with figurative they are shown as hunting, domesticating animals, patterns. fighting and dancing. Rock Paintings The pigments used by the rock painters are oxides of iron which give the colours red and Painted rock shelters are situated in the brown; white is derived from lime and green from densely wooded tracts of western Odisha. The copper compounds. These colours are mostly rock shelters at Ulapgarh and Vikram-Khol in available near the rock shelters. Obviously these Sambalpur district, Manikmada and Ushakothi paintings have been done by primitive men, the in Sundargarh district, Gudahandi and Yogimatha ancestors of the tribals of Central India and in Kalahandi district, offer the joy of discovering Western Odisha. This rock tradition of pictorial a primitive culture, rare in the whole of Eastern painting is carried unto the present day in the mural India. There are natural rocks in these areas paintings of tribals. The paintings of the Saura covered with prehistoric paintings. The Ravana tribals in Koraput and Ganjam districts still retain Chhata Rock in Sitabinjhee of Keonjhar district the freshness and vigour of rock paintings. contains a painting of a very high order. It depicts the procession scene of a King riding a Temple Paintings caparisoned elephant. There are horse-riders and The most important Odishan style of soldiers on the march holding shafts and banners, painting is to be found in the temples.