ROURKELA: About 14 km from the hustle and bustle of Rourkela, a room in Anjali Puran’s house in Suidihi village of Lathikata block transforms into a studio. Every day, about a dozen young women gather here to immerse themselves in the ancient art of pattachitra. Divine, mythological and folk themes take shape on cloth canvases as creativity finds expression through natural colours and fine brushes.
Far away from Raghurajpur, Odisha’s famed heritage village of pattachitra artists in Puri district, the traditional art form has found a vibrant new home in the nondescript village of Suidihi in tribal-dominated Sundargarh district. With institutional support, pattachitra has provided tribal and non-tribal women not just socio-economic independence but also a sense of purpose and healing. Their deft hands now create artistic masterpieces that are second to none.
Recognised by the Odisha government as pattachitra artisans, and with demand for their work steadily growing, their lives have taken a new course over the past 17 months. Their creations have found patrons across the state and beyond, bringing them a steady income as well as recognition.
Jasmine Kisan is only 19, but she is already a skilled pattachitra artist. “I enjoy my work to the hilt. It allows me to express my creativity and learn new things all the time. Five other members and I spend our time creating pattachitra artworks on canvas, sarees and other garments. Depending on the volume of work, we earn between Rs 10,000 and Rs 15,000 a month, and sometimes even more than Rs 20,000. Having worked on a commercial scale for the past 17 months, our artistic abilities have improved significantly,” she says.
Jasmine’s father is a mason with a small landholding and struggles to support a family of five, including three daughters. However, Jasmine has saved nearly Rs 70,000 from her newfound profession and now contributes to the family income.
“For smaller works, I spend around three hours every night at home. For larger projects that require teamwork, I go to Anjali’s house,” says the teenager. She is now preparing to take admission to a degree college and feels empowered by her ability to fund her own education.
For 32-year-old Rajya Khatun Ansari, pattachitra art has been a story of healing. A Class VIII dropout, she was married in Guwahati. However, she lost her husband to a heart attack in 2021 and returned to her mother and brother at Suidihi with her four-year-old son. Her family itself was struggling for sustenance and when her mother passed away in 2024, she went blank. She had no earning source and had to shift to a rented house with her son.
“Widow at a young age and with a kid, I had become a burden on my poor brother. With little education and no employable skills, I was staring at a dark future for my son,” Rajya recalls. Now, with training in pattachitra art, she looks at life differently.
“I looked at pattachitra art as a gateway to overcome life’s adversities. I completed the training course with all my heart and now feel confident. I may have to go a long way to be an accomplished artist but it has changed my life,” she says. Rajya surprises people when her deft hands flawlessly portray images of Lord Jagannath and other Hindu deities. “Through my art, I am continuously learning new facts about the Jagannath culture, tradition, heritage and practices,” she adds.
The journey began in 2023 when the Rourkela Steel Plant (RSP), under its CSR initiative, roped in the Society for Women Action Development (SWAD) of Puri to promote pattachitra while creating sustainable livelihood opportunities for rural women. A competition was organised in Suidihi, where women with artistic abilities were invited to participate. The first batch of 10 women was shortlisted for a year-long training programme. Most belonged to BPL families, were between 18 and 40 years of age, and had studied at least up to Class VII.
SWAD brought in pattachitra teacher Sushant Betal from Puri, who trained them in the finer nuances of the intricate art form for a year from November 2023 at the Suidihi panchayat office. A year later, they were ready.
“Following successful training, the Directorate of Handicrafts recognised the trainees as pattachitra artisans. They know their craft well and we provide them with materials and designs to create products based on orders received,” says Binapani Mishra, who heads SWAD.
In the first year, total sales touched around Rs 7.5 lakh, including more than Rs 3 lakh generated from an order for 600 pattachitra artworks placed by SAIL’s corporate office. While RSP continues to procure products in bulk, the artisans also receive orders from other sources and sell their creations at Pallishree Mela, Saras Mela and other exhibitions.
Training for a second batch of 12 women under the guidance of pattachitra artist Kanhu Charan Behera of Raghurajpur has been underway since November 2025.
Project coordinator Shishira Mishra says the group completed an order for 10 pattachitra sarees for a woman entrepreneur from Tamil Nadu two months ago.
“Suidihi now has the potential to emerge as another hub of pattachitra. With a steady flow of orders, we look forward to forming an artisans’ producer organisation to tap markets in the region and beyond,” she says.