Patachitra is an age-old tradition of visual story telling through scroll paintings accompanied with songs narrating stories. The scrolls are called 'Pat' and the songs are called Pater Gaan. The artists are locally called 'Patuas' or 'Chitrakars', literally meaning painterns. Patachitra is a living heritage of eastern India, practised in the states of West Bengal, Odisha, Bihar, and Jharkhand.

One of the distinctive Patachitra traditions is that of the Santhals, one of the largest indigenous communities of India spread across West Bengal, Bihar, Jharkhand and Odisha. The artists of Santhal Patachitra are called the 'Jadu Patuas' or the magical painters as they are believed to have the ability to ease the journey of the souls of the dead through their paintings, particularly through the Chokhshudan Pat (bestowing sight to the blind eyes of the dead). They also paint on creation of the universe and origin of the Santhals. Their subjects are mostly full of mysticism and unique imageries of death and life. They also paint on other themes such as Santhal festivities, forest life and local wildlife.

The exhibit showcases paintings and musical narratives of the Jadupatuas of Majramura village in Purulia, West Bengal - one of the main hubs of Santhal Patachitra which is home to about 70 artists.

These stories are preserved till date through the language of paintings - all of which form an integral part of the living traditions of the region. However, with the passage of time the legacy of Santha Patachitra has been lost to a large extent.