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The
history of painting in Orissa starts with the rock-shelter paintings
and continues upto the present day. Some of the rock-shelter
paintings, as at Vikram Khol do not, in the strict sense conform
to painting for these are engraved forms on rock surface filled
in with colour. It is not correct to term all the rock shelter
paintings of Orissa as pre-historic, because there are certain
historic paintings as at Manikmada which can be dated to the
early historic period (300BC-100AD). Apart from the rock painting
sites there are several drawings, cut marks resembling figures
on rock surfaces at Digapahandi and Bramapur in the district
of Ganjam and other places. However, with the available information,
it can be asstered that Orissa can be grouped with other pre-historic
paintings site of India like Singhanpur, Bhimbhetka, etc.
The
tribal paintings and the folk paintings, only with varying social
affiliations, justify the continuation of rock shelter painting
tradition. But the continuum is disassociated from the original
context of rock shelter paintings and is more of a decorative
nature mixed with rituals. Though not forming a part of classical
painting tradition, the tribal and folk painting contain several
motifs which constitute the classical art tradition. This process
of influences and cross influences not only exists among tribals,
folk and classical paintings but also extends to the realm sculpture.
This proves that no painting tradition has grown in isolation
and Orissan painting is no exception to it. It has emerged out
of the common Orissan art tradition which have existed from
hoary past.
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 Mural
Painting
In India,the mural paintings are considered to be the oldest classical
paintings from the point of their antiquity. In Orissa existence
of mural is traced from the faded out pigment coatings in the
caves of Khandagiri and Udayagiri as noticed by sir John Marshall
and supported by inscriptional evidences as mentioned in
the Hathigumpha inscription of emperor Kharavela of the 1st century
B.C.
The
next available mural is on the ceiling of Ravanachhaya projecting
rock-boulder at Sitabinji in the district of Keonjhar belonging
to later Gupta period.This painting,the lone survival of its kind
in the whole of eastern India,is attuned to the Ajanta style.Though
there are certain basic difference which can be attributed to
the local variations like laying of the ground for painting,provision
of a painted inscription,etc.,the colour scheme and composition
of the painting depict the plastic vigour which was the essence
of the Ajanta style of paintings of the period.The lack of evidence
fail to build up a connected history of paintings which otherwise
would have started with the Jaina school of painting at Khandagiri
and Udayagiri passing on to the Buddhist style and terminating
in Saiva-Sakti and Vaishnva painting as is the case with the evolution
of Orissan sculptural art.
The
next phase of Orissan murals stand a gulf apart in time and depict
a completely different style from the early plastic traditions.This
phase is marked by a pronounced linear character and belong to
a period between 17th and 20th centuries.The painting of Buddha
Vijaya in the Jagamohana of Lakshmi temple inside the Jagannath
temple complex at Puri and the paintings of Kanchi Vijaya said
to have been in the Jagamohana of Jagannath temple at Puri.
Authentic evidence of the later style of mural paintings exists
in the Biranchinarayana temple, Buguda, in the district of Ganjam;
Srikurumum temple, Andhra Pradesh and Dadhivamana temple inside
Koseleswar temple complex in the district of Keonjhar.
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 Pata
Painting
The Pata painting is an important aspect of Orissan painting which
originated from the temple of Jagannath at Puri in the 12th century.This
has grown and flourished with the spread of Jagannath temple under
the patronage of Ganga kings,Suryavamsi Gajapatis and the kings
of Bhoi dynasty.The Bhakti movement,which swept over Orissa in
the 16th century was chiefly instrumental in popularising the
theme of Radha and Krishna in pata painting displayed two major
themes;one,the temple of Jagannath ,the deities of Jagannath,Balabhadra
and Subhadra and the second,Radha-Krishna and their Lilas(plays).But
these themes are so few that these are not adequate for an evaluation
of thematic development of pata paintings.
The
pata painting was basically designed to popularise the cult of
Jagannath through their sale to millions of pilgrims visiting
Puri.The word pata was significant relation with the material
on which the painting is done and which is known as pati or pata.
The pata painting are also done on different media and on different
formats.The most popular items are Ganjapa, Masks, Toys of Jagannath,
Balabhdra, Subhadra and miniature of Jagannath temple. Although
ganjapa is a secular item, the element of religiosity has been
added with the introduction of Dasavatara ganjapa
and the Ramayan ganjapa.
Chitrakaras, Dattamahapatras and Daitapatis are the artisans who
execute patta paintings . While Dattamahapatra and Daitapatis
are concerned with painting of the deities of the Jagannath, Balabhdra,
Subhadra in the Jagannath temple, Puri, chitrakaras are the main
community who are involved in patta paintings of various kinds
in other places. In addition to these communities there is also
another class of people known as patuas in Orissa.
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