The folk art of Orissa is bound up with
its social and religious activities. In the month of Margasira, women folk worship
the goddess Lakshmi. It is the harvest season when grain is thrashed and stored.
During this auspicious occasion, the mud walls and floors are decorated with
murals in white rice paste or pithau. They are called jhoti or chita and are
drawn not merely with the intention of decorating the house, but to establish
a relationship between the mystical and the material, thus being highly symbolical
and meaningful.Throughout the year, the village women perform several rituals
for the fulfillment of their desires. For each occasion a specific motif is
drawn on the floor or on the wall.
Muruja is drawn on the floor with powders of different hues. White powder is
obtained from the grinding of stones, green powder is obtained from dry leaves,
black from burnt coconut shells, yellow from the petals of marigold flowers
or turmeric, and red from red clay or bricks. Muruja is generally used during
rituals in the forms of mandalas.
In the holy month of Kartik (November) women observe penance and draw muruja
designs near the tulsi plant. Drawing of muruja designs needs a lot of skill
and practice. The powder is held between the tips of the thumb and the forefinger,
and allowed to fall delicately through them to form lines and patterns which
are a delight to the eye testifying to the innate skill of the practitioners
who are generally women.
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