Coronation of Lord Rama | Super Fine Painting (Rajya Abhishekam) | Ascension of Lord Rama To The Throne Of Ayodhya

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This pata-chitra, a cloth-painting on fine Orissa silk, representing coronation of Rama, is one of the finest examples of the stylistic blend of different art traditions and classical and folk idioms. With broad features of Orissa pata-chitra, its cardinal style, the painting assimilates also the features of the art styles of Andhra, Tanjabur, or Tanjor, and north India. While for the body colour of most of the figures the artist has used yellow – pale or deep, white, blue or blue-black in pursuance of Orissa tradition, in conceiving the figures of Rama and Bharata in green, and the face of Hanuman in red, he has resorted to Andhrite and Tanjor art traditions. In Tanjor and Andhra art traditions Rama, and correspondingly Bharata, is portrayed in green as his body colour, and Hanuman, with a deep red face. The artist has not used a colour from Orissa palette or the universal blue, which not only most other art traditions but also the canonical literature have prescribed as the colour of Vishnu’s or Rama’s body.

This item can be backordered
Time required to recreate this artwork
5 to 6 weeks
Advance to be paid now
$159 (20%)
Balance to be paid once product is ready
$636
Item Code: PM92
Artist: RATIKANTA MOHARANA
Specifications:
Water Color on Tussar Silk
Dimensions 41 INCH HEIGHT x 30 INCH WIDTH
Handmade
Handmade
Free delivery
Free delivery
Fully insured
Fully insured
100% Made in India
100% Made in India
Fair trade
Fair trade

While the facial features of Sita and Bharata, and somewhat of Rama, betray Andhrite influence, the horizontally stretched arched pavilion with a flattish look is a feature of Tanjor temple architecture as it features in most of the Tanjor paintings from the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. The styles of costumes have been immensely diversified betraying various influences. The figure of Vibhishana on the extreme right in white ‘angarakha’ – a long upper wear, is putting on a pajama – sewn garment with independent legs, one of the most popular components of ensemble widely represented in the eighteenth-nineteenth century north Indian medieval paintings from Rajasthan, Oudh, or even hill states. Even the theme of Rama’s coronation has been painted as it has been painted in Tanjor paintings. In miniatures from Rajasthan it has been portrayed with greater details and has narrative thrust.


Rama, with bow and arrow in hands, the attributes with which his identity is decisively established, is seated with Sita, his consort, on an elevated double lotus pedestal consisting of an inverted lotus as its lower half, and an upwards rising, its upper. Rama, seated in ‘lalitasana’ with his right leg suspending below where Hanuman holds it on his lap and massages it, is occupying major part of the pedestal, while the figure of bashful Sita is almost squeezed on the rest of it. On Sita’s left, close to the pedestal, stand Rama’s three brothers, Lakshmana, holding the royal umbrella over the figures of Rama and Sita, and Bharata and Shatrughna with folded hands. With matted hair and clad in a mere antariya, Bharata has been represented as an ascetic, a form in which he had ruled Ayodhya in Rama’s absence for fourteen years considering himself as Ayodhya’s mere care-taker and living a life as lived his brothers Rama and Lakshmana in exile.


Besides Hanuman seated on floor close to the pedestal, there stand on Rama’s left sage Vashishtha, extending over Rama’s head the sacred conch held in his hands, and Jamvan, Sugriva and Vibhishana who accompanied Rama to Ayodhya after he had won his war with Ravana and had rescued Sita. Jamvan, the enlightened minister of Sugriva, is holding in his left hand a text and is elaborating with the other some point under consideration. Though Vibhishana was now Lanka’s king, he revered Rama as his supreme master and it is this humility of him that defines his appearance. Sage Vashishtha, Ayodhya’s state priest, is performing coronation-rite symbolically by extending sacred conch over Rama’s head. In the classical tradition portrayal of coronation is usually more elaborate, often portrayed step-wise and finally by putting on the head a ‘tilaka’ – the auspicious mark denotative of victory. It is only in folk traditions that any one of the steps symbolises the whole act of coronation, or any, as in this painting. Thus, the painting is basically a folk version of the theme.


This description by Prof. P.C. Jain and Dr. Daljeet. Prof. Jain specializes on the aesthetics of literature and is the author of numerous books on Indian art and culture. Dr. Daljeet is the curator of the Miniature Painting Gallery, National Museum, New Delhi. They have both collaborated together on a number of books.

Mastering the Ancient Technique: Exploring the Meticulous Creation of Pattachitra Paintings

The traditional Pattachitra is a scroll painting that is done on cloth. This is revealed in the name; Pattachitra is a Sanskrit term made from two words i.e. Patta meaning cloth and Chitra meaning picture. The main subject of this painting is portraying Hindu mythological narratives, scenes from religious texts, and folktales. Pattachitra paintings are especially practiced in eastern Indian states such as West Bengal and Odisha, and also in some parts of Bangladesh. This art form is closely related to Shri Jagannath and the tradition of the Vaishnava sect. It is believed that Pattachitra art originated in the 11th century and the people of Odisha practice it even today without any discrepancy. Bengalis use these scroll paintings for ritual purposes (as a visual device) during the performance of a song or Aarti.
Pattachitra paintings are characterized by creative and traditional motifs/designs, decorative borders, and bright colorful applications. The outline of the figure and motifs are bold and sharp. Some common shapes and motifs seen in these paintings are trees, flowers, leaves, elephants, and other creatures. The artists of Odisha and Bengal still use the traditional method of painting which gives a unique look to it altogether.

1. Canvas is prepared

The process of painting a Pattachitra begins by preparing the canvas (patta). Generally, cotton cloth is used for making the canvas. The local artists dip the cotton cloth in a mixture of tamarind seeds and water for a few days. The cloth is then taken out and dried in the sun. Now natural gum is applied over it to stick another layer of cotton cloth on it. Thus a thick layer of cotton cloth is formed. This layered cotton is sun-dried and a paste of chalk powder, tamarind, and gum is applied on both sides. The surface of the cloth is then rubbed with two different stones for smoothening and it is again dried. This process gives the cloth a leathery finish and it is now ready to be painted.
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2. Natural colors are made using traditional method

The painters prepare and use vegetable and mineral colors for application in the painting. White color is made from conch shells, black is made by burning coconut shells, Hingula is used for red color, Ramaraja for blue, and Haritala for yellow.
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3. Colors are filled in

The artist now makes a double-lined border on all four sides of the canvas. The local artists are so expert in painting that they do not draw figures and motifs with pencil but directly draw them with a brush. The paint brushes that the painters use are made of the hair of domestic animals, a bunch of which is tied to the end of a bamboo stick. The figures are now painted with natural colors using the indigenous brushes. The outline is thickened with black color.
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4. Painting is given a finishing

Finally, the painting is varnished/glazed to protect it from any damage and to get a glossy shine on the surface.

The making of a Pattachitra is laborious work and therefore, one painting may sometimes take over a month to complete. Due to their classical look, these paintings are admired by people from all over the world. The artistic skills used in Pattachitra are passed down from one generation to another and thus are preserved to date.
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