Pattachitra Painting

Pattachitra art is prominently practiced in Odisha and West Bengal. The paintings are a hundred percent recycled, as the canvas comes from used cotton sarees that are layered and glued using tamarind paste and a coat of clay powder. The colours are obtained by crushing local stone and sea shells, and the black is extracted from lamp soot. The floral border is a significant and compulsory feature of the art form. It is the first step of the painting, which is concluded with details of the eyes. This is because the artists believe that the moment you paint the eyes, the spirit of whatever you're trying to create enters the art form.

Story Of Kanchi Vijay

On his visit to Odisha for the annual Rath Yatra, the Kanchi King was shocked to find King Purushottam performing Chhera Pahnra (customary sweeping of the chariots’ floors by the Puri king before Rath Yatra). Seething in fury, the king returned to Kanchi and sent a message to Puri that he won’t give his daughter away to a menial who swept floors.

For Purushottam, the rejection of the marriage proposal was not only a personal insult but an abuse of his deities. He sought vengeance by vowing to capture the princess after taking over the kingdom of Kanchi.

He raged a war against Kanchi but was defeated. Desperate, he prayed lord Jagannath for help. The lord appeared in his dream and directed him to wage a new attack. With renewed confidence, Purushottam led his armyto Kanchi. This time, the King of Kanchi was defeated and Purushottam captured the princess. It is said that Purushottam’s army was headed by Balabhadra and Jagannath riding on white and black horses, respectively. This conquest is popularly known as the Kanchi Abhiyan.