Tribal Paintings of Odisha has a prosperous tribal tradition of painting. The paintings of different communities such as Saura, Kondh, Kissans and Juang reveal the rich cultural tradition of Odisha Tribal Paintings. Thousands of master craftsmen knit magic with their hands in Odisha. The Odisha School of painting consists of tribal, folk and classical form. The classical painting, Pattachitra is painted on a specially prepared cloth which is coated with the earth to stiffen it and finally finished with lacquer after paintings, producing motifs in gorgeous colours.
History of Tribal Paintings of Odisha
The history of painting of Odisha dated back to the earliest times with rock-cover paintings, some of them are dated to the early historic period. Numerous cave paintings are tribal and rock shelter painting has continued throughout the centuries as an Oriya practice. Despite of rock painting sites, there are a number of drawings and picture resembling figures on rock exteriors at Digapahandi and Berhampur in Ganjam district and former places. Mural paintings in Odisha is in another place in India was an olden tradition and facts of mural colour coatings have been found in the caves of Khandagiri and Udayagiri dating back to the sovereignty of Emperor Kharavela who ruled in the 1st century B.C.
Features of Tribal Paintings of Odisha
Tribal Paintings of Odisha has some distinct features. The natures of the symbolic writings emerge to be a combination derived from Mohenjodaro and Brahmi scripts. The Ravana Chhaya Rock at Sitabinji in Keonjhar district holds a painting of very high in order, representing the "march panorama of a king riding an elephant with soldiers asset shafts and banners, pursued by a female helper". This painting carries memories of Ajanta murals. Wonderful murals decorate the inside of the Jagannath Temple, the Buddha Vijay painting in the jagamohana of the Lakshmi Temple and the Kanchi Vijay in the jagamohana of the Jagannath temple. The palm leaves have long been used as a writing material. This is exclusively local tradition of Odisha, the crafts of palm leaf manuscripts dates back to ancient times when the artists, with the help of iron pens inscribes the text or design on the surface of palm leaves, then applies a paste of tamarind seed, oil and charcoal.
Types of Tribal Paintings of Odisha
There are different types of Tribal Paintings of Odisha still existing and some of them are mentioned below:
Saura Painting: The Saura wall paintings are called italons or ikons which are drawn upon tribal myths and have ritualistic significance. Ikons make wide use of metaphorical icons which mirror the quotidian chores of the Sauras. People, horses, elephants, the sun and the moon and the tree of life are chronic motifs in these ikons. Ikons were originally painted on the walls of the Saura`s adobe huts.
Painting of Kondh Community: Wall paintings of Khonds are called `Manji Gunda". Kutia Khond paintings are very effortless and these are called Tikangkuda". Among the Kondh community, there are a variety of subgroups called Kutia Khonds and Dongria Kondhs.
Painting of Kissans: Kissans in their paintings represent samlai deity and also depict signs of agricultural movement. Tribal society Paudi Bhuyan"s paintings are called `Jhanjira". They are extra particular regarding agriculture which is reflected in a host of their paintings.
Painting of Juang: Wall paintings of Juang village contain birds, animals and flowers. Santhal community does not have paintings as such but they clean the walls and verandah of their houses with coloured mud.
