Raghurajpur is a hamlet in Puri District, 10 kms from Puri and 55 kms from the state capital Bhubaneswar and faced devastation during Cyclone Fani. The heritage crafts village is home to 200 families living in 140 homes. The village boasts of skilled artisans in every household. They specialise in Pattachitra painting, an art form which dates to 5 BC. They also make traditional masks, stone idols, paper mache, sculptures, and wooden toys. Some of these artists have also won National Awards for their exceptional work.
Odisha, like its neighbours Andhra Pradesh and West Bengal, has seen some of the worst ever cyclones in India’s history. Between 1891 and 2018, the state was hit by about 110 cyclones, says tropical meteorologist Uma Charan Mohanty, a visiting professor at the Indian Institute of Technology Bhubaneswar. “That’s a massive number.”
Bordering Godavari-Krishna mangroves, East Deccan moist deciduous forests and Lower Gangetic Plains moist deciduous forestS. Home to amazing species of animals, birds, flora and fauna feature strongly in the cultural practices of the Odia people. Their use of natural colours and handwoven textiles is a testament to an age old sustainable cultural practice to inspire the world.
An immediate sales platform was created in Gurgaon to support artisans for crisis funds through a dignified and self-reliant plan. 4 artisans were supported from Odisha to Gurgaon with all the undamaged artefacts.
Kala Chaupal Trust, Prabhaav Foundation and a team of artists, Jagannath Panda and Dharmendra Rathore constituted as core members of this campaign came together to set up an online fundraiser on GiveIndia. A silent auction was also planned with key contemporary artists.
A talk was given by Sudarshan Rodriguez, a development professional with multi-disciplinary backgrounds in disaster management, environmental sciences, environmental economics, policy, and environmental law. A presentation was also shared by Dr. Anita Bose who has emphasised the importance of the intangible cultural heritage of the Patachitra Artists in her book “Patachitra of Odisha and Jagannath Culture”.
All 200 families supported through equitable fundraising to support immediate needs for two months.
An immediate sales platform was created in Gurgaon to support artisans for crisis funds through a dignified and self-reliant plan. 4 artisans were supported from Odisha to Gurgaon with all the undamaged artifacts.
Kala Chaupal Trust, Prabhaav Foundation, and a team of artists, Jagannath Panda and Dharmendra Rathore constituted as core members of this campaign came together to set up an online fundraiser on GiveIndia. A silent auction was also planned with key contemporary artists.
Our intent is to support long term repair and rebuilding of homes, water sources, community buildings and livelihoods through traditional and vernacular understanding. The artisans require better working conditions and a contextualisation of the arts through archival narrations and through improved market linkages. For this we continue our work through collaborations with disaster resilience organisations and through building market linkages.
