Orissa has an age old tradition of Painting
which stretches from the prehistoric rock shelters to the temples and mathas
of this century. Out of these the traditional painters , the tribal painter
, the folk and rock painters are of significance.
Tribal Paintings
Orissa has a rich tribal culture. The Sauras, the Kondhs and the Santals decorate
their houses with motifs of flowers, birds and geometrical designs. The Saura
paintings are intimately related to religious beliefs and drawn in order to
appease demigods' and spirits. On the occasion of animal sacrifices, the Sauras
draw ittals on their walls. The themes of these paintings are usually dream
sequences. A medley of objects such as a comb or even a bicycle map figure
in modem Saura paintings. The Kondh wall paintings are generally in the form
of geometrical designs. Santals also paint their houses with figurative patterns.
Rock Paintings
Painted rock shelters are situated in the densely wooded tracts of western
Orissa. The rock shelters at Ulapgarh and Vikram Khol in Sambalpur district,
Manikmada and Ushakothi in Sundargarh district, Gudahandi and Yogimatha in
Kalahandi district, offer the joy of discovering a primitive culture, rare
in the whole of Eastern India. There are natural rocks in these areas covered
with prehistoric paintings. The Ravana Chhata Rock al Sitabinjhee of Keonjhar
district contains a painting of a very high order. It depicts the procession
scene of a King riding a caparisoned elephant. There are horse-riders and
soldiers on the march holding shafts and banners, followed by a female attendant.
This painting carries reminiscence of Aianta murals. The rock painting in
these natural caves are coloured with the help of a twig of a palm tree turned
into a brush by hammering its fibrous end. The paintings differ from place
to place.
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