Naya The Home Of Chitrakaars (Supplementary)

Unit 2 – Supplementary

Naya – The Home of Chitrakaars

Patachitra

Naya is a quaint little village in West Bengal’s Midnapore district. However, it is not an ordinary village. Around 250 patuas or chitrakaars or artists live there. These folk artists are painters, lyricists, singers and performers all rolled into one. They practise an ancient folk art called Pata Chitra. This is a type of storytelling using painted scrolls. The scrolls have stories painted on them and the artists sing the story as they unroll the scroll. This art has been practised since the 13th century.

Traditionally, such storytellers took their painted scrolls from village to village. In every village they unrolled the scrolls frame by frame and sang pater gaan or the story songs. In return for their performance, the villagers gave them rice, vegetables and money. Their stories included mythological stories and tribal folklore. Nowadays the artists sing of social messages and contemporary events as well.

Over time, however, people lost interest in this art form and there were few artists and fewer listeners. To keep their art alive in the modern world, the patuas adapted their skills and themes to the times. An innovative step they took to do this was to establish a patachitra village at Naya. Slowly, the efforts to revive their artistic heritage started paying off. Today, the patachitra art is flourishing again in the village, with village youngsters taking up the traditional art form as a passion and profession.

A traditional pata was painted on a canvas made of jute fibre. Now, it is made by stitching together sheets of commercial poster paper. The colours come from plants such as:

• Marigold
• Indigo
• Teak leaves
• Saffron
• Turmeric
• Lamp black

The colours are mixed in coconut shells with the sap of the bael tree (wood apple) which acts as a glue. After finishing, a thin cotton cloth is glued to the back of the painting so that it will last long. Next, the completed scrolls are dried in the sun before they are stored in rolled-up bundles.

Today the patuas make rectangular and square-shaped paintings of different sizes. Social messages like:

• Conservation of trees
• Female infanticide
• Child-trafficking
• AIDS awareness

figure in their paintings. They also paint images of traditional subjects, such as:

• A cat eating a lobster or fish
• Tigers
• Rows of cows
• White owls

The patuas today do not make too many long story scrolls. A few of them still sing their self-composed songs but only on demand.

The patachitra art tradition was traditionally passed down from father to son, but today many patua women have also taken up the craft. Under an initiative ‘Art for Livelihood’, some of these women are leading local development.

Since 2010, an annual three-day festival Pot Maya has been held to celebrate the success of the local artists. Held in November every year, the festival exhibits:

• Modern paintings
• Scrolls dating back hundreds of years

At this time, the villagers:

• Paint the mud walls of their houses with colourful patachitra motifs
• Hang scrolls on ropes in the courtyards
• Clean up the surroundings
• Decorate the entire village with flowers to get ready for visitors

As there are no hotels in the village, the visitors stay in tents.

A Display at the Pot Maya Festival

During the festival, the quiet hamlet is transformed into a vibrant cultural hub where visitors can:

• Learn about the craft of patachitra
• Attend workshops
• Listen to stories
• View different types of pata artwork displayed for sale

Musical and dance performances by well-known artists start in the evening and go on well into the night. The patuas hold demonstrations on natural colour extraction from sources.

Watching a patua singing gently as he or she unfurls the scrolls is an unforgettable experience. The play of light and shadow from the oil lamps on the soft colours and delicate imagery of the paintings is magical.

If you are interested in traditional art and crafts, do visit this unique village. It will be a delightful experience in a beautiful rural setting.

A. Fill in the Blanks

Choose the correct words/phrases from the box:

Midnapore, folk art, chitrakaars, Pata Chitra, painted scrolls, unrolled

Naya is a quaint little village in West Bengal’s Midnapore district. However, it is not an ordinary village. Around 250 patuas or chitrakaars or artists live there. These folk artistes are painters, lyricists, singers and performers all rolled into one. They practise an ancient folk art called Pata Chitra. This is a type of storytelling using painted scrolls. The scrolls had stories painted on them and the artists sang the story as they unrolled the scroll. This art has been practised since the 13th century.

B. Write the Apt Word for the Given Phrases

1. The traditional folk art of West Bengal – Patachitra
2. Annual festival to celebrate the success of local artists – Pot Maya
3. The other name of storytellers – Patuas / Chitrakaars
4. Conservation of trees, female infanticide etc. – Social messages

C. Mind Map

CHARACTERS

1. The artists of Naya are called patuas / chitrakaars.
2. These folk artists include painters, lyricists, singers, and performers.
3. The number of artists – 250.

SETTING

• State – West Bengal
• District – Midnapore
• Village – Naya

PROBLEM

This art form faded over a period of time.

SOLUTION

Establishing a patachitra village at Naya and adapting to modern themes.

D. Arrange the Steps of Making a Patta in Order

1. A Patta is created by painting on a canvas.
2. Jute fibre canvas was used in olden days.
3. It is made by stitching multiple sheets of poster paper together.
4. Plant-based colours and lamp black are mixed in coconut shells.
5. The sap of the wood apple tree acts as a glue.
6. A thin cotton cloth is glued to the back of the painting for long life.
7. The completed scrolls are dried in the sun.
8. Finally they are stored in rolled-up bundles.

E. Write a Few Sentences About Pot Maya Festival

Pot Maya is an annual three-day festival held in November at Naya village to celebrate the revival of patachitra art. The village is decorated with scrolls and murals, and visitors enjoy workshops, performances, and art sales. It showcases both ancient and modern patachitra and supports local artists.

PROJECT

F. Make a Diary Entry About Your Visit to a Science Exhibition

(To be done by student)

G. Design a Certificate, a Badge or a Medal for Sports Day

(To be done by student)

CONNECTING TO SELF

H. Draw the Pictures in the Given Boxes Using the Clues

• The snake is next to the owl.
• The owl is not next to the bird.
• The kite is on the right.
• The owl is between the snake and the kite.

Now where is the bird?
(Answer: On the far left)

I. Draw an Envelope with the Flap Open Without Lifting Your Pen from the Paper

Indicate the numbers to show how it was drawn.

STEP TO SUCCESS

J. Find Their Group Name and Write Them in the Blanks

1. Kuchupudi, Bhangra, Dandia – performing art
2. Prose, poetry, drama, novel – literary art
3. Photography, film making, sculpture – visual art
4. Karate, Kungfu, Capoeira – martial art
5. Weaving, embroidery, carpet designing – textile art

LEARNING LINKS AND REFERENCES

E-links:
- https://www.indianholidays.com/tamil-nadu/arts-and-crafts
- Crafts of India – Wikipedia

Books:
- The Complete Book of Arts and Crafts
- My Book of Art and Crafts

Listening Passages

Unit 1 – Adventure Camps

There is a very famous quote by Hellen Keller,

“Life is either a daring adventure or nothing.”

Adventure trips are all about:

• Making memories
• Gaining knowledge
• Learning new things
• Making great stories

Activities include:

• Water Activities: Aqua zorbing, water skiing, fishing, swimming, water volleyball
• Bonfire: Storytelling, singing, playing instruments
• Rock Climbing: Physical and mental challenges
• Mountain Biking: Riding bicycles on forest roads

Unit 2 – Madhubani Painting

Madhubani painting or Mithila paintings from the Mithila region of Bihar were originally done on walls during festivals. Artists like Jagdamba Devi and Mahasundari Devi brought it international recognition. Today, these paintings are popular in craft bazaars like Dilli Haat.

ICT CORNER – Grammar: Active & Passive Voice

Objective:
- Learn about active and passive voice
- Practise passive voice in Simple Present Tense

Steps:
1. Visit: https://www.ego4u.com/en/cram-up/grammar/passive
2. Study examples of passive voice
3. Scroll to Exercises
4. Complete Passive with Simple Present
5. Finish all active and passive voice exercises in Simple Present Tense

List of Authors and Reviewers

(Original list preserved – formatted for clarity)

Advisory Committee
- Uma Raman – ELT Consultant
- Jayashree Arun – ELT Consultant
- Nagalakshmi B – ELT Consultant

Authors
- Dhilip S – B.T. Asst., GHSS, Sathiyamangalam
- Magdalene Premalatha B – B.T. Asst., GHSS, Ammaiyappan
- Uma Pappa V – B.T. Asst., GHSS, Karapakkam
- Akila S – B.T. Asst., GBHSS, Chrompet
- Dinesh Anand J – B.T. Asst., GHSS, Varagur
- A. Aruna – BRTE, Sattankulam

Reviewers
- Ms. Vijayshree G – Assistant Professor of English
- Ms. Uma T – Assistant Professor of English
- Sagayaraj L – TGT, Hindu Senior Sec School
- Ms. Meena Rajeswari – TGT, Govt. Girls Hr. Sec. School
- Ms. Parvathi Devi – SGT, T.M.P. School

Art and Design Team
- Ramar P – Drawing Master, GBHSS, Kamaraj Nagar
- Gopalakrishnan N – Drawing Master, Kumara Rajah Muthiah HSS
- Prabu Raj D T M – Drawing Master, GHS Manimangalam

Digital Content Team
- Dhayananth K.B. – B.T. Asst., GBHSS Udumalaipet
- Balaji K – Drawing Master, GHSS, Thirumullaivasal
- Anandakumar A – Drawing Master, GHSS, Azhividaithangi

In House QC
- Rajesh Thangappan – ICT Coordinator
- Prasanth C – Co-ordinator
- Vijaya Kumar M – Co-ordinator
- Arun Kamaraj Palanisamy – B.T. Asst., GHSS, Somandarkudi
- Prasanth P – Co-ordinator
- Ramesh Munisamy – Graphics & Layout

Practice Practice Exercises

Naya is a quaint little village in West Bengal’s district. However, it is not an ordinary village. Around 250 patuas or or artists live there. These folk artistes are painters, lyricists, singers and performers all rolled into one. They practise an ancient called Pata Chitra. This is a type of storytelling using . The scrolls had stories painted on them and the artists sang the story as they the scroll. This art has been practised since the 13th century.

1. The traditional folk art of West Bengal

2. Annual festival to celebrate the success of local artists

3. The other name of story tellers

4. Conservation of trees, female infanticide etcetera

1. The artists of Naya are called .

2. These folk artists include , , and .

3. The number of artists .

State:

District:

Village:

Now where is the bird?

1. Kuchupudi, Bangra, Dandia,

2. prose, poetry, drama, novel

3. photography, film making, sculpture

4. Karate, Kungfu, Capoeira

5. weaving, embroidery, carpet designing