About a five-hour drive southwest of Kolkata is the village of Noya (spelled "Naya" in Bengali), in the district of West Medinipur (pronounced "Midnapur"), in the state of West Bengal. In this village, a longstanding tradition of scroll paintings is continued by many members of an artisan caste known as patuas (painters) or chitrakaras (picture-makers). The two terms, referring to a Muslim or Hindu identity, respectively, suggest their ambiguous but also tolerant relation to both religions. The latter term is also the surname used by many of these artists. Their paintings are known as patas.
The tradition of scroll painting is not unique to Noya or to East and West Medinipur, but was and is practiced in other villages in several districts in West Bengal. Some scholars date the origin of this tradition and artisan caste to the 13th century, and perhaps earlier. Surviving scroll paintings date from the turn of the 19th century. Intended to accompany the singing of narratives, the paintings were unrolled to illustrate the successive incidents recounted in the song. Depending on the local area, the painter might or might not be the composer or singer as well.
With regard to the artists, medieval texts suggest that the patuas were originally a Hindu caste who for some reason left Hinduism. Although today most patuas are Muslim, the artists straddle the two faiths of Hinduism and Islam, practicing customs from each religion. In their songs and visual art, they call for tolerance and mutual respect, stressing the harmony of faiths and the commonality of all people.
The topics of the scrolls include episodes from Bengali versions of the Hindu epics Ramayana and Mahabharata, that describe the lives of Rama or Krishna. They might retell the deeds of gods and goddesses, such as Shiva or Durga, from Hindu mythology; or the deeds of local deities, such as the Bengali snake goddess Manasa. Particularly popular are Yama patas, in which the god of death punishes sinners. Scrolls recount the lives of pirs, or Muslim saints. These paintings also address secular topics as well. Some 19th century examples illustrate uprisings against British rule. Contemporary scrolls might describe the destruction of the twin towers in New York City or an earthquake in Pakistan.
Though the patua tradition is old, Noya is a relatively new village. Here the patuas were originally singers who illustrated their own songs with the narrative scroll paintings. Itinerants, they wandered from village to village, stopping wherever they were requested for a song. As they sang, they unfurled the painted scroll to illustrate the verses of the song. In the later 20th century, this process was reversed, such that the patuas are principally painters who compose songs to accompany their paintings.
The patuas of Noya mostly live in one particular area (patuapara, or artist neighborhood) in the village. Individuals in the neighborhood work at various jobs, but most families still have at least one member who is a painter. Traditionally, men have been painters but increasingly women practice this craft, guided by Dukhushyam Chitrakar, a respected elder painter who has encouraged younger artists. Shyamsundar Chitrakar is another respected elder painter. Among younger artists, Gurupada Chitrakar has achieved some fame, traveling several times to the United States and Europe. In fact, when the present author met Gurupada at his home in Noya village in July of 2007, Gurupada produced his business card from the Santa Fe International Folk Art Market, from which he had just returned three days previous. [photos: Noya village]
There are four principal types of patas produced in Noya village. First is the traditional rolled narrative scroll, as described above. The scroll, known as jarano pata, tells a religious story or a secular story with a moral or ethical point.
Second, smaller paintings known as chaukash pata (literally, "square painting," although they are almost always rectangular) typically present an iconic portrait of a Hindu god (e.g., Ganesh) or a local deity (e.g., snake goddess Manasa), or they excerpt an incident from a larger mythological narrative (e.g., Durga slaying the buffalo demon Mahisha). These rectangular paintings also depict secular themes, such as scenes of village activities (e.g., harvesting rice) or of urban life (e.g., riding a tram in Kolkata). The religious paintings are sold to pilgrims and devotees, while the secular themes are sold to collectors mostly within India, but increasingly outside. Artists regularly travel to fairs and markets (occasionally distant markets, as in Santa Fe, NM) to sell these works.
Third, patas are produced in the style of, or are copies of, Kalighat paintings. The latter comprised a genre of watercolor painting that was produced near the Kalighat temple in Kolkata in the 19th century. These paintings showed scenes from everyday life that frequently involved a subtle social commentary, often involving male-female relations. They were influenced by western painting and incorporated western painting techniques, such as shading to suggest depth.
The fourth type is not, strictly speaking, produced in Noya village. Rather, Santal artists paint scenes of village life or of Santal mythology. The Santals are a pre-Aryan group who live in several regions in West Bengal. Noya village artists collect these works and sell them along with their own works. Noya patuas occasionally paint their own versions of "tribal style" paintings.
Traditionally Noya village patuas prepared their own painting medium from cloth or paper, stiffened somewhat with rice glue. Now, however, almost all patuas use poster paper that is easily purchased from local shops. Several layers of paper are sewn together to provide a solid surface. Figures and borders are outlined with lampblack or pencil. Then primary colors are painted in. Some patuas use commercial paints purchased in markets, but many still use natural colors. For example, yellow is produced from turmeric, blue from indigo, and black from lampblack or burnt rice. The colors are mixed with tree sap and water to achieve the proper consistency.
In the face of modern culture, the patuas have incorporated new themes into their work. These can describe contemporary events, such as 9/11 or an election. Or they can seek to lift social consciousness, as paintings that criticize the practice of dowry, encourage famine or flood relief, or foster birth control and AIDS awareness. The modern world impinges on all folk art forms. But the fact that the patuas' traditional art has accommodated changes for centuries suggests that it will survive our present globalized century as well.
For More Information
Jain, Jyotindra. (1999). Kalighat Painting: Images from a Changing World. Ahmedabad: Mapin Publishing Pvt Ltd.
Korom, Frank J. (2006). Village of Painters: Narrative Scrolls from West Bengal. Santa Fe, NM: Museum of New Mexico Press.
Rossi, Barbara. (1998). From the Ocean of Painting: India’s Popular Paintings 1589 to the Present. New York: Oxford University Press. (See section, “Bengali Scroll and Single-Image Paintings," p.96; and section "Kalighat Paintings and Battala Woodcuts," p.57.)
Three folk art traditions of northeast India