International Journal of Social Science Research (IJSSR)

Patachitra as Contemporary Folk Visual Storytelling

The traditional art of patachitra in Bengal – a centuries-old narrative painting genre, performed through songs (pater gan) – has recently taken on a new form: a form of visual journalism centered on modern crises. In Nayan village in the Pingla region of West Midnapore, patuas are creating new patachitras on the COVID-19 pandemic, cyclone Amphan, climate change and social unrest, which are capturing the collective experience of society. In these issue-based patachitras, vibrant images and songs come together to document events, criticize the state of society and capture people’s emotions and memories. This article compares these modern patachitras with traditional mythological patachitras. An Color and technique of of patachitras is, showing how natural colors and symbolic consonants give depth to the subject matter. It also discusses pater gan or ‘live performance’ and how the scope of this art form is increasing manifold through social media and exhibitions. As a result, Patachitra has become a living folk journalism today—where tradition and current news blend together to create moral narratives and visual reports.