Santhal Patachitra has a very distinct form and style. Their paintings include various elements of nature including animals and birds, as is seen here.
About the craft: Patachitra of Bengal is a tradition of visual storytelling. Stories are painted on long scrolls by the painters known as Chitrakars who gradually unfurl them while singing the stories. The songs are called Pater Gaan. Santhal Patachitra is one of the styles practised by the indigeneous Santhal communities. The Santhals constitute one of the oldest and largest tribes of India. They reside in the eastern parts of the country, in the states of West Bengal, Bihar, Orissa, Jharkhand and Assam. Santhal style of Patachitra usually narrates stories about origins of Santhals and themes based on their cycles of life and death, which are integrally linked to nature. The Santhal Patachitra tradition practiced in Purulia, West Bengal, is known for its simplistic style and compositions, minimalistic background decoration, bold strokes and minimal use of colours.
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