Odisha is a land of rich ancient culture rooted in history. Dances and performances for ritualistic purposes and traditional art forms like patachitra and pothichitra paintings are a core part of their historical culture. Patachitra is an old tradition that has been carried on for generations, masks are an extension of this cultural heritage.
Odisha’s folk theatre is known as Jatra which has been a dominant influence of this craft, colloquially known as Mukha. Jatra characters were made of wood, sholapith, and paper mache painted in bright colors. Initially, like most folk art, they used natural pigments, where red was one of the most expensive ones, but later replaced by easily available commercial paints. The characters were dressed according to the roles played by them, and the masks were used based on the characterizations. A complex procedure is used to make these masks. Paper, waste cloth, and different kinds of natural fibers are soaked and beaten into a pulp. They are then mixed with a variety of seeds and gums for strength and as protection from termites for durability. The entire process results in a medium so malleable that it requires great skill to be molded into countless forms.
