Palm Leaf Engraving

Palm leaf craft is Odisha's soul art, which is being practiced as early as the beginning of Odisha's history

Ukrista kalasya desha iti utkalaha,,,,,, this Samskrutam slokah from skanda Purana perfectly matches with the wonderful ageless Odia classic civilization.

Palm leaf craft is Odisha's soul art, which is being practiced as early as the beginning of Odisha's history, "Ukrista kalasya desha iti utkalaha",,,,,, this Samskrutam slokah from skanda Purana, perfectly describes the artists and art forms of Odisha, The beautiful complex etches on dried palm leaves are richly illustrated with images from, Ramayana, Mahabharata, several other historical stories and deities, specially glorifying Lord Jagannatha. 

It was customary to present Chitra Pothi of the Gita Gobinda to kings and important people on Vijaya Dashami.

The process of the palm for engravings starts with procuring the palm leaves which are plucked from palm trees and are left to dry and get harden, they are then cut to equal size and stitched together to form a foldable surface, Images are then traced using black and white ink with an iron stylus, 

A paste made of bean leaves, charcoal made of burnt coconut shells, til oil and turmeric is rubbed on the etchings that highlights the figures, Colour is very rarely used in the craft, but when used, it is subdued and made of natural pigments. These panels cam also be easily folded like a fan and packed in a compact pile for better conservation. 

One of the most adorable topics that have inspired the Indian Artists for millennia is the divine rasa of Lord Krishna with his beloved Radha and Gopis of Vrindavan . The Odia artists of palm leaf are not exceptions, for generations they have been illustrating the divine rasa in the palm leaf canvas.