Idital

"Idital"-a form of Soura Wall Painting of Rayagada District

IditalorEditalis a form of Indian painting from the state ofOdisha.It is a kind ofSaura paintingthat was invented and is practiced by theSora peoplewho mostly live inRayagada,GajapatiandKoraputdistricts of Odisha. The artisans paint Idital as a symbol of devotion to the tribal deity "Idital" or "Edital". Each piece of Idital painting contains symbols and signs and each one of them convey a distinct meaning. "Jodisum"and"Jananglasum"are two known Idital styles.

Origin and History

Seven out of the 62 tribes of Odisha decorate their wall with mural paintings.Sora are known for their wide range of painting styles based on religious and ceremonial themes.They have invariably religious association for which they are calleditalonorikon.Ikons used to be originally painted on the walls of the adobe huts of the Sora people.Ikons are worshipped during special religious and cultural occasions such as child-birth, harvest, marriage and the construction of a new house.Iditals are generally made to pay tribute to the deities and ancestors.

Theme, color and style

The iconic line drawings of Idital are based on simple geometrical forms. Humans,horses,elephants,thesun,themoonand thetree of lifeare some of the recurringmotifsin theikons.The backgrounds of the paintings are prepared from red oryellow ochreearth which is then painted over using brushes created from tenderbamboo shoots.Natural dyes and chromes derived from ground white stone, hued earth, andvermilionand mixtures oftamarindseed, flower and leaf extracts are used forIkons.

External links

• Media related toIditalat Wikimedia Commons