A festive mood pervades in this patachitra painting as Santhal people join the marriage procession. They make up one of the largest tribes spread across the states of West Bengal, Bihar, Orissa, Assam and Jharkhand; they are known to love to dance in order to relax. For this patachitra painting, Mamoni Chitrakar depicts women and men balancing bowls of rice on their heads as well as playing their traditional instruments. The Indian artist starts by preparing the colors from natural dyes, obtaining a palette of bright colors that capture the joyful spirit of the occasion. She then paints on paper which she pastes on cotton fabric recycled from saris. The word pata is derived from the Sanskrit and Pali word meaning cloth, and chitra means picture. Patachitra means picture painted on cloth, and it refers to a storytelling tradition originating in the Medinipur region of West Bengal. The painter community is called Patua, and all of the artists bear the same last name Chitrakar, meaning painter. Through this unique art form, the bard presents the story with pictures while simultaneously narrating a song called Pater Gaan. Patuas use colors extracted from various trees, leaves, fruits, flowers, seeds, and clay. Traditionally, their themes revolved around mythological stories, but the newer generations of Patuas paint about contemporary social issues ranging from violence against women to climate change. They are deftly capturing the changing times. Patachitra artists once had a unique style of presenting their craft: they would go to different villages, singing and telling the stories within the paintings with song and ethos to these themes. Interestingly, despite the fact they all belonged to the Muslim community and practiced Islam faith, they all painted about Hindu gods and goddesses and sang songs in their praise. They did not see their religious beliefs as a barrier to their craft.
