In the annals of history, we find art and religion walking in unison, one supporting the other to achieve a common goal. When literature came into being, it also joined hands and became an integral part of the crusade. It is commonly believed that religion has exploited art and literature to achieve its end and in the process, all the three have flourished.

Religious life in Odisha has been dominated by the cult of Lord Jagannath ever since the famous and majestic present temple of this god in Puri was built in the 12th century. Although, the early history of Lord Jagannath is shrouded in mystery, it is certain that he gained extraordinary fame and rode to the position of the state deity of Odisha.

Its rise to fame is associated with the evolution of an art tradition, specifically the art of patta painting, which eventually became a distinguished regional style of painting.

The role of the chitrakara or the Odia painter in the cult offers a fascinating story of how a classical tradition has tried to overpower and even replace a tribal tradition of image making and painting.

However, the indigenous tradition of the tribal group, which now claims it lineage in the Datapati and Datta Mahapatra sevakas, has maintained its supremacy without allowing the chitrakara to penetrate into the mystery of the cult. It is commonly believed that the chitrakaras paint the wooden deities in the Puri temple, but in reality they were never allowed to touch the core of the cult and remained at the fringe. A temple legend points to the helplessness and frustration of the chitrakaras, who prayed to the Lord to allow them the painting service (chitraseva) by which they can be closer to the deities in their devotion and attain salvation in life.

The Lord moved by their prayer makes a compromise and permits them to paint Him in their classical iconic style each year for a period of a fortnight during the days of anavasara, when the deities convulse inside the closed sanctum sanctorum after the ritual bath.

The anasara patas of Ananta, Bhuvaneswari and Narayana, those represent the wooden images of Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra and Goddess Subhadra are a complete departure from the an iconic appearance of the deities and proclaim a classical-iconic feature and temporary-win by the chitrakaras over the Daitapati and Dattmahapatra style of coarse, bold and minimal work.

During the anasara period, it is the work of the chitrakaras that are venerated and worshipped by the devotees. Though the power struggle between the servitors of tribal lineage group and the chitrakaras, backed by the brahmanical priestly class remains implicit and concealed, in the complex temple paraphernalia, it offers an interesting study of art stylistic practices in the region of Odisha.

Inspite of intentional dissimilarities in art styles professed by the tribal and chitrakara groups, the commonalities are more significant that survived the struggle of painterly power and contributed to the continuation of a regional tradition. Here in lies the bond of Lord Jagannath and the Odia painter that makes it unique in the annals of religious history.

The bond thrives on mutuality and mutability and on the interplay of religion and art as well as tribal and classical practices not only within the purview of temple rituals, but also makes it relevant to non-religious and secular spheres of social life. Materially, the bond comprises a pati, handmade canvas prepared out of used old cloth with the help of tamarind glue and given to paint after coating a layer of liquid chalk and polishing with stones. Further, it consists of a set of pigments such as haritala (yellow orpiment) hingula (vermilion) dipakala (lamp black) and sankhadhala (conch white).

The basic characteristic of the style is linearity. The bond is still valid and both the wooden deities as well as the patta paintings endear this style and materials, which have come to stay as properties of the Odisha’s school of painting.

When we think of Jagannath and extend our area of contemplation, we find in the orbit the Odia painter surviving as a creative soul among the servitors of the temple. By now, a network of such painters has been established throughout the state. This network thrives because of affiliation to Jagannath temples in several towns and villages as well as the patronage extended to them.The association of the Odia painter with the cult of Jagannath evidently stretches back to the 12th and 13th centuries till the present times.

Today, the Odia painter is not just the traditional chitrakar. The elemental forms of the images and the bright and luminous colour shades have inspired the modern and contemporary painters. The forms have become so popular that these have crossed the limits of religiosity and sacredness and adorned all kinds of sundry commercial products such practices have crossed territorial limits and have become a kind of fashion statement. Two thematic paintings of Odia painters standout and they have been able to lend an identity to Odia artistry and are found in major collections, all over the world. These are the anasarapatas and jatripatas or pilgrim paintings. The oldest collected jatri painting is in the National Museum of Copenhagen. The next in succession is in Bibliothek, Paris, a 19th century Sankhanabhi jatri painting. The collection in the India Office Library, London, is simply fabulous. Some of the paintings such as Ghoda-gadi, Harina-gadi and Hanuman-gadi are rare and are no more painted. The National Handicraft and Handloom Museum in New Delhi and the Odisha State Museum in Bhubaneswar possess in their collection two large Thiabadhia jatri paintings.

Anasara paintings are unique for they have the creative strength to change the basic iconography of the wooden images and make them acceptable. The possibilities of priests’ intervention seem a reality in the whole process of metamorphosis. Anyhow the Odia painter’s daringness is to be appreciated. Even initially when the Odia painters settled for the elemental forms by minimal carving, it was a marvellous feat notwithstanding the intervention of legendary divine sculptor, the Viswakarma, who carved it blindfolded.

Similarly, the jatripatas, which depict the deities the temple, the temple complex and sacred geography of Puri is another daring conceptualisation.

All said and done, the traditional Odia painters’ portal of Jagannath and the tries in various possible manifestations, standout as the best sample in world art perspectives.

(The author is a renowned artist and art historian)