BHUBANESWAR: In a rare and fascinating show of cultural conservation, a group of tribal artists in Odisha’s Rayagada district used their artistic skills and brushstrokes to turn their entire village into an art gallery. Around 50 artists from Rejingtal in Rayagada with support from Odisha Lalit Kala Academy and district administration painted all the houses in the village with Saura mural painting, known as ‘Idtal.’
The academy with support from the Rayagada district administration organised a workshop for tribal art culture based on ‘Idtal’ theme which brought the Saura artists together to paint their homes in Rejingtal village.
The workshop which started on September 28 and concluded on October 2 saw the entire village turn into an art gallery with walls of each and every house showcasing Saura murals. “Initially there was hesitation among the locals. However, the way the project came out, we are now flooded with requests to organise more such workshops,” said Odisha Lalit Kala Academy president Sudarsan Pattnaik.
The painting tradition has been followed by the Lanjia Saura community since the ancestral period. “This art is done by the community to show respect and gratitude to their deities, forefathers and also for the well-being of their village. There, however, is very little promotion of it,” he said.
Pattnaik informed the idea of organising such unique workshops on tribal art came from the model painting camp on Pattachitra that Lalit Kala Academy had organised earlier in Raghunathpur village of Puri in 2021.“The unique initiative will encourage more youths from the tribal communities to come forward and learn tribal art,” the internationally-acclaimed sand sculptor said.
The Saura paintings flaunting the images of village agriculture, hunting practices, harvesting, hills and mountains, tribal lifestyle, marriage and dance, worshipping of deities as well as the biodiversity have started drawing accolades and appreciations of people from all walks of life.Office of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik commended the initiative and said efforts of Saura artists to paint their entire village with murals have brought more glory to their art and culture.