Durga puja 2026: The stories behind Bengal’s patachitra artists

At the Durga puja pandals of Kolkata, amid the festive bustle, a traditional art form has been finding space in an increasingly contemporary marketplace. Patua artists have been displaying and selling patachitras drawn on kurtas, dupattas, coasters, trays and wall hangings, bringing a centuries-old visual tradition into the everyday lives of urban buyers.At Barge Company’s Durga puja festivities aboard Riviera, a sailing vessel on the Ganges, patachitra artist Shubho Chitro displays his work at a stall. Several other artists like him are showcasing their work at pandals in and around Kolkata. At Shubho’s stall, traditional patachitras sit alongside paintings inspired by Jamini Roy. The art form’s distinctive visual language extends to garments and home décor as well.Once told through painted scrolls and song, Bengal’s patachitra is now appearing on everything from kurtas to coasters. As the art finds new forms, can its storytelling tradition keep pace? Bengal style patachitra drawn on household objects | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement The word patachitra derives from the Sanskrit patta, meaning cloth, and chitra, meaning picture or painting. In Bengal, the tradition is closely associated with the patuas, who would travel between villages carrying painted scrolls. As they gradually unfurled the panels, they narrated the stories through songs known as pater gaan. The scroll therefore, was more than an image — it is meant to be heard and experienced.The origins of Bengal’s patachitra remain debated, although oral histories have traced the tradition back to the 10th and 11th centuries. Its repertoire has encompassed episodes from the Ramayana, Mahabharata and Mangalkavya, alongside folk narratives, historical events and social commentary. The paintings have also served as a means of communicating stories and information to communities beyond the reach of formal media.From storytelling to everyday objectsDipak Kumar Bara Panda, a patachitra researcher, writer of the book Kalantarer Jatray Banglar Pat (Bengal’s Patachitra: Through the Journey of Time) published by Ananda Publishers, and curator at the Ashutosh Museum of Indian Art at the University of Calcutta, observes how the form has changed as artists have adapted to new audiences and sources of livelihood.Kalantarer Jatray Banglar Pat (Bengal’s Patachitra: Through the Journey of Time) written by Dipak Kumar Bara Panda. | Photo Credit: Dipak Kumar Bara Panda He points to the role of the Government, particularly since the 1990s, in using patua artists to communicate social messages. These included briksharopan, or tree plantation, and songs opposing violence against women. The result was a wider repertoire that went beyond traditional narratives to include what are known as samajik pats, or socially themed scrolls. Patachitras on display in Pingla, West Bengal | Photo Credit: istock He adds, “Government support also included financial assistance through theshilpi bhata, a monthly allowance of ₹1,000 for artists, followed by design-development workshops that encouraged the application of patachitra to everyday products.” The paintings subsequently began appearing on trays, vases, kurtis, dupattas and T-shirts, giving artists additional avenues to reach buyers.There is evidence of the broader institutional effort to sustain the craft. A 2018 brochure documenting the West Bengal Government’s collaboration with UNESCO on its Rural Craft Hubs initiative recorded 254 artists across 70 households in the Chitrataru collective in Naya, Pingla, in Paschim Medinipur. The initiative sought to support traditional crafts as viable livelihoods while developing cultural tourism and strengthening local artist communities. Odisha style patachitra featuring Lord Jagannath | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement Contemporary patachitra designs are relevant to buyers, particularly as artists adapt the traditional art form for everyday use through bags, scarves, clothing, home décor and other lifestyle products. Orders from boutiques for dress materials and commissions to create Durga puja pandals demonstrate this contemporary relevance. Meanwhile, Dipak points out that artists are also engaging with contemporary social and environmental issues through public murals, book illustrations and graphic novels. Shubho notes that his best-selling wares are mostly home décor items. He says his fellow artists also paint on kettles, cups and saucers, cookware, serveware, foldable chairs and wooden furniture, which find an audience among younger buyers.For artists, the expansion into merchandise can offer a practical way to keep the craft economically viable. But Dipak believes that the transition also presents a challenge.“There is a crisis developing, and we need to reconsider the journey the art form has taken. Artists trained in art colleges, as well as others outside the community, can reproduce similar imagery. At a busy puja pandal, where paintings are displayed alongside other products, it may be difficult for an untrained buyer to distinguish between work made by a patua and a replication by an art-college trained artist,” he says. Bengal style patachitra designs | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement His concern is not simply about who is entitled to paint a particular motif, but whether the context and knowledge that give the art form its identity might be lost as its visual language circulates more widely.“Patachitra is a painting made on a pat, with a story behind it. It is a picture that carries a narrative. Culture is never static; evolution is inevitable. But if the art form is transformed completely, people may lose sight of its original character and fail to understand its true essence,” says Dipak.A tradition with different storiesThe distinction between Bengal patachitra and its Odisha counterpart offers another way to understand what is at stake. Although both traditions use painted imagery to tell stories, they have developed different associations, formats and conventions. Odisha style patachitra | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement In Bengal, the patua’s painted scroll has traditionally been closely tied to oral performance. The artist unfolds the images while singing, with the narrative moving from one panel to the next. The repertoire ranges from mythology and folk tales to depicting village life, historical events and contemporary social issues.Odisha’s patachitra , meanwhile, is strongly associated with the Jagannath tradition centred on Puri. Its characteristic cloth paintings often depict Jagannath, Krishna and other figures from Hindu mythology, with intricate detailing, stylised figures and elaborate decorative borders. The wider Odia tradition also includes painted palm-leaf manuscripts and wall paintings.The distinction is not absolute: Bengal patachitra has a substantial mythological repertoire, while Odisha’s tradition has also expanded into objects made for contemporary buyers. However, the emphasis on sung, sequential storytelling in Bengal and the devotional associations of Odisha’s pattachitra offer useful points of difference.Dipak feels that if the paintings become familiar primarily as decorative motifs, the histories, songs and storytelling practices behind them risk receding from view.Keeping the craft aliveAt the Barge Company stall, Shubho Chitro, a senior patachitra artist in his sixties, represents a family tradition that he hopes will continue through the next generation. He says his village in Medinipur is home to nearly 200 patua families. According to him, the Government has supported the village’s upkeep and created a guest house where travellers can stay, view the artists’ work and buy directly from them. Shubho Chitro’s work on display | Photo Credit: Shreya Banerjee His own children are also patachitra artists, though they hold other jobs. His daughter, he says, is gradually learning the craft while continuing to work.“We believe our children should be able to work and earn a living while also learning the craft and keeping it alive for future generations,” he says.Shubho describes Bengal patachitra as an art form that draws from the rhythms of everyday life. “Bengal patachitra draws inspiration from village life, marketplaces and even Bengali lok geeti (traditional folk music of Bengal), while the Odia tradition is closely associated with lore, stories and storytelling,” he says. As he explains the tradition, he breaks into a traditional Bengali folk song, his voice carrying across the room. Bengal style patachitra featuring Ma Durga | Photo Credit: istock His distinction brings the discussion back to the relationship between the painting and the world that produced it. The appearance of patachitra at Durga Puja pandals is, in one sense, evidence of its continued relevance. New products and audiences can help sustain a tradition that might otherwise struggle to compete with changing forms of entertainment and consumption. Yet the challenge is to ensure that the craft’s evolution does not eclipse the stories that made it distinctive.A painted tray or kurta may introduce a buyer to patachitra. The harder task is ensuring that the buyer also discovers the scroll, the song and the artist behind it.