Art has long served as a medium for preserving oral traditions and knowledge systems, acting as a visual archive of cultural practices and wisdom. The "64 Kalas - Pattachitra Art" exemplifies this by attempting to conserve the knowledge of sixty-four arts mentioned in ancient texts like Shilpa Shastras, Bhagavata Purana, and Vishnu Purana.
The depiction on Tussar Silk through watercolor captures the imagery of these arts, reflecting the diverse spectrum of skills encompassed within the sixty-four branches of fine arts. The artwork draws inspiration from ancient shlokas, specifically those in the tenth chapter of Srimad Bhagavata, attributing the acquisition of these arts to Sri Krishna and Balarama within sixty-four days. The artist has also incorporated some modern ideas into the traditional depiction, for example, you find an electric bulb hanging in the 11th image of the third row (left to right).
Vatsyayana's Kamasutra further emphasizes the importance of these Chatusasti-Kala (sixty-four arts), deeming them essential for princes, princesses, and aristocrats' offspring to secure an honorable position in society. By visually interpreting these arts, the Pattachitra art form becomes a custodian of cultural heritage, ensuring the longevity and accessibility of ancient knowledge systems through the visual storytelling inherent in the piece.
In this captivating painting, we intricately delve into the profound teachings of Vatsayana's Kamasutra, enriched further by Yasodhara's insightful commentary. Yasodhara's meticulous reevaluation and scientific classification of the arts elegantly weave through the canvas, rejecting certain explanations to offer a more nuanced understanding. This masterpiece serves as a dual entity – a visually striking art piece and an invaluable reservoir of knowledge painted onto the canvas.
Acting as a beacon of enlightenment, it employs the psychology of seeing for remembering, ensuring that its teachings leave an indelible mark on the viewer's consciousness. Crafted with precision and adorned with wisdom, this painting stands as a timeless gem of art, destined to transcend through millennia, carrying the torch of ancient knowledge and cultural richness for generations to come.
1. Vadyam- The art of playing musical instruments.
2. Viśeṣaka-cchedyam- The art of painting the face and body with colored unguent cosmetics.
3. Nṛtyam- The art of dancing.
4. Samvahana- The art of massaging with the hands.
5. Gītam- The art of singing.
6. Śayyā-racanam- The art of covering a bed properly.
7. Utsādanam- The art of healing a person with ointments.
8. Prahelikā- The art of making and solving riddles.
9. Udaka-vādyam- The art of creating music by ringing waterpots.
10. Keśa-mārjana-kauśalam- The art of hairdressing or applying hair oil.
11. Aindra-jala: The art of making people do something under the effect of magic or the deep knowledge of Tantra.
12. Puṣpāstaraṇam- The art of making a bed/arrangement of flowers.
13. Taṇḍula-kusuma-bali-vikārāḥ- The art of preparing auspicious designs on the floor with rice and flowers.
14. Udaka-ghātaḥ- The art of splashing with water.
15. Alekhyam- The art of creating images using lines and colors (painting).
16. Daśana-vasanāṅga-rāgāḥ- The art of coloring one’s teeth, clothes, and limbs.
17. Pratimālā- The art of capping verses. One party recites a verse and another will have to recite the first letter identical to the preceding verse's last letter.
18. Ākarṣa-krīḍa- The art of playing dice or with magnets.
19. Chalitaka-yogāḥ- The art of disguise by creating wax statues or masks.
20. Nirmiti-jnana: The art of predicting someone's future by observing auspicious and inauspicious symbols.
21. Hasta-lāghavam- The art of tactful use of the palm actions or sleight of hand.
22. Pustaka-vācanam- The art of reading out from a book with proper pronunciation, in keeping with the sentiment expressed in the portion read.
23. Mlecchita-kutarka-vikalpāḥ- The art of speaking in a foreign jargon.
24. Durvacaka-yogāḥ- The art of obscure word-making or uttering statements difficult for others to answer.
25. Dhātu-vādaḥ- The knowledge of metallurgy.
26. Sabhasa - Expressing in words keeping the secrecy all the same, nirbhasa is the same art without using words.
27. Vāstu-vidyā- The art of constructing houses or architecture.
28. Abhidhāna-koṣa-cchando-jñānam- The knowledge of poetic meters or lexicography.
29. Dyutavisesa- The knowledge of different sorts of gambling.
30. Bālaka-krīḍanakam- The art of entertaining children with their toys.
31. Akṣara-muṣṭikā-kathanam- The art of telling what is written in a book without seeing it, and telling what is hidden in another’s fist, it is a memory game.
32. Kaucumāra-yogaḥ- Physical exercise or the knowledge of yoga-asana.
33. Puṣpa-śakaṭikā-nirmiti-jñānam- Knowledge of how to decorate carts with flowers.
34. Manusi vaijayikī vidyā- The art of gaining victory through human efforts.
35. Vainayiki vidya: The art of enforcing discipline or taming horses and elephants.
36. Mani-raga-kara jnana: The knowledge of detecting mineral deposits underneath the earth.
37. Daivi Vaijayiki vidyā- The art of enforcing victory by mystic powers.
38. Sampathya - The art of memorizing or when one person reads from the book and the other one repeats.
39. Sūtra-krīḍā- The art of making puppets dance by manipulating thin threads.
40. Deśa-bhāṣā-jñānam- The knowledge of provincial dialects.
41. Vastra-gopanam- The art of disguising one kind of cloth to look like another or the art of wrapping the cloth in different ways.
42. Takṣaṇam- The knowledge of carpentry.
43. Raupya-ratna-parīkṣā- The knowledge to distinguish genuine jewels and coins or testing silver and jewels.
44. Mānasī- A game based on guesswork in some respects, similar to the Western game “charad’. One thinks something- a word or a sentence. The other has to guess it from certain hints given by the former and compose a verse on the same.
45. Kriyā-vikalpāḥ- The art of designing a literary work or a medical remedy.
46. Dharana-matrka: The art of memorizing a thing by hearing or reading it once.
47. kāvya-kriyā- composing verses mentally
48. Mālya-grathana-vikalpāḥ- The art of preparing garlands for offering to deities.
49. Vyayamiki - The art of physical culture, keeping the body fit and healthy.
50. Śuka-śārikā-pralāpanam- The knowledge of how to train male and female parrots to speak and answer the questions of human beings.
51. Meṣa-kukkuṭa-lāvaka-yuddha-vidhiḥ- The art of training and engaging rams, cocks, and quails in fighting.
52. Nepathya-yogāḥ- The art of dressing appropriately for stage performances.
53. Vīṇā-ḍamarukavādyāni- The art of playing on vina and damaru. It is observed that playing the vina and damaru together is a difficult task and requires skill and practice to achieve the desired musical outcome.
54. Kāvya-samasyā-pūraṇam- The art of solving or creating enigmatic verses.
55. Pānaka-rasa-rāgāsava-yojanam- The knowledge of preparing palatable drinks through cooked or uncooked methods.
56. Vrikhayur-veda-yoga: The art of laying out gardens or orchards.
57. Karṇa-patra-bhaṅgāḥ- The art of decorating the earlobes by using ornaments made of ivory.
58. Tarku-karma- The skill of spinning yarn with the help of a spinning wheel.
59. Sūcī-vāya-karma- The knowledge of needlework and weaving.
60. Nāṭikākhyāyikā-darśanam- The knowledge of acting where there will be motion and gestures.
61. Paṭṭikā-vetra-bāṇa-vikalpāḥ- The art of making caskets and cane boxes.
62. Shekharakapida Yojana- The art of making floral arrangements to be placed at the back of the head.
63. Citra-śākāpūpa-bhakṣya-vikāra-kriyaḥ- The knowledge of preparing varieties of delicious food.
64. Saṁvācyam- The art of having a proper conversation, having addressed people with proper respect.
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