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About fifteen km from the
revered city of Lord Jagannath, Puri, there is a tiny little hamlet
Raghurajpur, nestled on the southern bank of river Bhargavi in the rural
heartland of Odisha. Amidst the coconut, palm, and mango groves, this quiet
village is a treasure trove for some of the finest heritage art forms of the
state.
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Raghurajpur comprises
about 130 houses that also function as live workshops divided almost equally on
each side, facing each other. There are temples of the local deities in the
centre of the village with platforms that provide places for religious
celebrations and socializing.
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Raghurajpur was once known
as the keepers of Odisha’s ancient Pattachitra art, mainly due to the late Sri.
Jagannath Mohapatra (winner of the President of India’s award in 1965) and many
artists trained under his guidance. It is fascinating how each household is
exclusively involved with some traditional art form or craft, and many are
skilled artists!
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Apart from keeping the
traditional art forms of Pattachitra and Tala Pattachira alive, the village has
also produced some of the finest classical dancers of Gotipua and Odissi, like
Sri. Kelucharan Mohapatra.
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The moment one enters the
village, one is warmly greeted by the artists and invited to visit their homes.
Their tiny homes are a visual treat for art and craft lovers! The entrances,
doors, and walls of the houses of Raghurajpur are nothing less than art
galleries. The entire village adorns beautiful, intricate paintings that depict
stories from Hindu mythology, local deities, flora and fauna of the land, and
folktales. Raghurajpur has a fascinating tradition of announcing a wedding in
the family by writing the names of a bride and groom on the entrance with some
traditional designs.
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One needs to take a
languid walk in the village to get a glimpse of the life of
artists/craftspeople. The experience is enthralling, as each house has such
interesting frescos and art collections that one is overwhelmed with choices.
Most villagers are friendly and willing to share their experiences and artistic
process, an eye-opening and a great learning experience for the uninitiated.
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Raghurajpur has many
National, State, and other prestigious awardees and is trying to change with
time while firmly rooted in traditional ways of life and art practices.
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In the year 2000, the
traditional art hub of Raghurajpur village was declared a Heritage Village by
Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH). Since then, it
became more visible on the national and international stage.
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