Pattachitra: Art on a palm leaf

Nestled amidst coconut and palm groves, Raghurajpur, a hamlet in Orissa's Puri district, is home to master painters of Pattachitra, a traditional scroll art based on Hindu mythology said to have originated in the state back in 5 BCE. Among them, many artists also create Talapatrachitras (tala: palm, patra: leaf, chitra: drawing), spending hours etching needle-sharp fine drawings using natural colours on zig-zag folds of crisp yellow-green palm leaves, delicately strung together with threads. One such veteran artist is Pramod Kumar Maharana, who belongs to a family of accomplished chitrakars and has even demonstrated his craft in Europe. This weekend, he will introduce Mumbaikars to it through workshops organised by Heart For Art, a Pune-based charitable trust dedicated to improve livelihoods of rural artisans.

Artist Pramod Kumar Maharana

"We've conducted this workshop previously in Pune and Bengaluru. In Mumbai, we decided to present three-hour sessions at multiple venues. In each session, participants will be guided to etch on palm leaf bands that can be used as bookmarks or miniature scrolls," says co-founder Padmaja Jalihal. The workshop is open to all, including kids; participants will be provided with raw materials like iron pens used for etching, dried palm leaf bands, ink and motif stencils. Originally, paintings included figures, floral motifs, birds and animals to depict Hindu mythological tales. The artist will guide participants in recreating these motifs on palm leaves. Once the etching is done, the leaves have to be washed with ink, so the ink can seep into the design. "Many century-old collections of palm leaf manuscripts have survived as they are stronger and tensile than paper," adds Jalihal.

From: August 18 to 20
At: Bandra West, Andheri West, Colaba, Lower Parel and Thane West
For full schedule, log on to heartforartonline.com
Call: 9560901211
Cost: '1,250