Palm Leaf Painting

One of the most ancient crafts of the world, etching and paintings on the palm leaf still thrives in the state of Odisha in India. Called Talapatrachitras there, the art has reached new heights there. The palm leaf etchings are treasured decorations of all Indian home. The art originated when written communication began. Messages and manuscripts were written on the palm leaf to be disseminated. Gradually the trend to decorate the text with images began and it became an art in itself. The ethnic art were still one of the most respected ones there and is practiced by the artists.

The art relates to fables and stories from the Hindu mythology and tells tales photographically about an incident or episode of a God or Goddess, their different stages, to make the people understand the flow of their deity’s life.