Home Address:
At Basudeipur (Raghurajpur), PO Chandanpur, Puri, Odisha - 752012

Note:

Palm leaf etching was founded by the skillful people of Orissa decades ago and this ancient art is a style practiced in the villages of Orissa especially in the artist village of Raghurajpur and Chitrakarasahi. The paintings begin with a selection of palm leaves which are sun dried and then kept in the shade for a few days. These are then cut into thin strips of various sizes. With the help of an iron stylus, designs based on mythological themes are etched on to the palm leaves. The etching requires a lot of expertise to make sure that the pressure applied toward the etching is precise and appropriate. Etching is done with an ink like paste obtained from burnt charcoal and coconut shells. If the figures have to be in colour, engraved portions are rubbed and filled with herbal colours. Rectangular strips are tied and strung together much like the folding of Japanese fan, which when opened reveals the story to be conveyed.

Intricate panels, which reveal the artists' ability to paint in even a very small area, is one of the reasons why this is an absolutely fine art form and also much appreciated throughout the world today. Palm leaf inscriptions and recording horoscopes have been developed into a fine and precise art by the master craftsmen. Major literary works like the Mahabharata were originally inscribed on palm leaves. Even the later copper plate inscriptions were first etched on palm leaves.