Patachitra or scroll paintings of rural Bengal are made by the patuas, a branch of the chitrakar caste. The patuas are professional artists who make images and paintings for a living. They are also accomplished singers.
Patachitra - Religious Indian Folk Art Paintings
The mythical narratives, contemporary tales and folklore painted on scrolls are carried from village to village, and narration is accompanied by folk songs. There are three types of formats in patachitra-the vertical scroll, horizontal scroll and a single quadrangular sheet. The width of the paintings may be from one to two feet, while the length can be up to 25 feet. Earlier, the picture were painted in vegetable color, on cloth or paper. There are different stylistic characteristics such as the distinct tribal style of the santhal patas, those from birbhum, show an overindulgence of emotion and sentiment and the Bengali style in the kalighat bazar patas. These days the chitrakara, painters of midnapur and purulia districts are the only ones involved with pata making. The patuas, painters, also serve as priests for the santhal community, and make patas with santhal folklore. The craft has been affected by the onslaught of lithography, oleography and bazaar pictures.
