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The three original formats of painting a patachitra from Purulia, Bankura, Birbhum and West Mednipur are-

  • Jadano pat or the scroll - showing episodes in sequence in a vertically placed manner - all illustrated along the picture frame one above the other. Usually there are 10 to 15 frames in all.

  • The Arelatai pat - here the picture frames are horizontal in nature - bound at both ends by two wooden sticks to enable the patua (the painter cum singer) to unroll the pat as s/he gradually displays it in front of an audience. This usually contain 6 to 8 frames.

  • The Choukosh pat or the square pat is a single sheet of rectangular paper which is commonly used to eulogise a deity or an incident.

scroll pat

Jorano pat or the scroll- showing episode sequences in a vertically placed manner

The Arelatai - horizontal pat

The Arelatai pat- here the picture frames are horizontal in nature- bound in two ends by two wooden sticks.

Choukosh pat - square Pat

the Choukosh pat or the square pat is a single sheet of rectangular paper

Classification

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