Chitrakathi: The Picture-Storytelling of Pinguli, Maharashtra

Chitrakathi, also spelled Chitrakathi or Chitra-katha, is the traditional picture-storytelling of Pinguli village, in the Sindhudurg district of Maharashtra, in which narrators of the Thakar community sing and recite epic tales while displaying a sequence of hand-painted picture-cards. The name combines the words for picture and story, and the art unfolds as the storyteller shows, one after another, the painted sheets of a set known as a pothi, each illustrating a moment of the tale, accompanied by song, recitation and simple instruments. The Thakar community of Pinguli has long kept several related performing arts, including this picture-storytelling together with forms of shadow and string puppetry, making the village a notable centre of folk performance. Readers who enjoy the folk narrative painting of Warli painting of Maharashtra will find in Chitrakathi another distinctive folk tradition of the state. This guide describes the art, its home, its history, its picture-cards and materials, its performance, its stories, its community and its present-day place, treating the Thakar community and their heritage with respect.

Key Takeaways

• Chitrakathi is the traditional picture-storytelling of Pinguli village in Sindhudurg, Maharashtra.
• The name combines the words for picture and story.
• Narrators of the Thakar community sing and recite epic tales while showing hand-painted picture-cards.
• The painted sheets are kept in sets known as pothis, each illustrating a moment of the story.
• Performances are accompanied by song, recitation and simple instruments.
• The Thakar of Pinguli also keep related forms of shadow and string puppetry.

The sections below explain what Chitrakathi is, where it comes from, how its picture-cards are painted, how a performance unfolds, what stories it tells and who keeps it, with respect for the Thakar community.

Quick Facts

What Is Chitrakathi?

Chitrakathi is the traditional picture-storytelling of Pinguli village in Maharashtra, in which narrators of the Thakar community sing and recite epic tales while displaying a sequence of hand-painted picture-cards. The name means picture-story, and the art unfolds as the storyteller shows, one after another, the painted sheets of a set called a pothi, each illustrating a moment of the tale, accompanied by song, recitation and simple instruments. The pictures and the words work together, the images anchoring the story and the narration carrying it forward, so that the audience both sees and hears the epic. Chitrakathi is thus a performing art as much as a painting tradition, combining visual art, music and oral storytelling. More than entertainment, it is a devotional and cultural practice rooted in the life of the Thakar community. Its painted cards and sung tales define it. It is a treasured folk art of Maharashtra.

Where Is Pinguli and the Thakar Community?

Pinguli is a village in the Sindhudurg district of Maharashtra, in the Konkan region of western India, and it is home to the Thakar community who keep the Chitrakathi tradition. The Thakar are a community long associated with folk performing arts, and Pinguli has become a notable centre for several related traditions, including picture-storytelling together with forms of shadow and string puppetry. The village and its community are therefore closely tied to these arts, which form part of their cultural identity and, traditionally, their livelihood. The Konkan setting, the devotional and storytelling culture of the region, and the skills passed down within the community all shaped the tradition. Pinguli and the Thakar community are the living home of Chitrakathi. Treating them and their heritage with respect means recognising their role as custodians of the art. The village and the community sustain the tradition.

What Does the Name Chitrakathi Mean?

The name Chitrakathi combines the words for picture and story, and it describes the art precisely as the telling of a story through pictures. Chitra means picture or image, and katha means story or tale, so the name captures the union of visual art and oral narration that defines the tradition. This naming reflects the heart of the performance, in which the storyteller shows painted images while reciting and singing the tale, so that picture and story advance together. Related terms are used for similar picture-storytelling traditions found in other parts of India, which share the idea of narrating with images. In Pinguli, the name is tied specifically to the art of the Thakar community. The name is both descriptive and distinctive. It roots the art in its method of storytelling with pictures. It is a fitting title for the tradition.

What Is the History of Chitrakathi?

Chitrakathi has a long history as part of the folk and devotional culture of the Konkan and of the Thakar community of Pinguli, though its precise early origins are not documented in exact detail. Picture-storytelling traditions, in which tales are told with the aid of painted images, have deep roots in India, and the Pinguli form took shape within this wider world as the art of the Thakar community. The tradition has been carried by families who passed down the painting of the picture-cards, the songs and the recitation over generations. Because much of the early story rests on oral tradition rather than written record, it is best described in general terms as part of the living heritage of Maharashtra. What is clear is that Chitrakathi has deep roots and a continuous, if now fragile, line of practice in Pinguli. Its history reflects the place of storytelling in community life.

What Materials Are Used for the Picture-Cards?

The picture-cards of Chitrakathi are painted on sheets, traditionally of handmade paper, using natural and other colours, and the sheets are kept together in sets known as pothis. Each pothi gathers the sequence of pictures for a particular story, so that the storyteller can show them in order as the tale unfolds. The colours are applied by hand to illustrate the characters, scenes and moments of the epic, and the style of the painting is distinctive to the tradition. As a living folk art, the exact materials and colours can vary with what is available and the painter’s practice, but the essential idea is a set of hand-painted narrative sheets. The pothi of painted cards is the visual heart of the performance. Simple materials, skilfully painted, become the images of the epic. The cards and their pothi make the storytelling possible.

How Are the Picture-Cards Painted?

The picture-cards of Chitrakathi are painted by hand, each sheet illustrating a moment of the story in a bold, distinctive folk style, and arranged in sequence within a pothi. The painter draws and colours the characters, gods, heroes, animals and scenes of the tale, using line and colour to make each image clear and expressive, since the pictures must read at a glance as the storyteller displays them. The style is characteristic of the tradition, with its own conventions of form, posture and composition drawn from the visual culture of the community. Because the pictures serve the storytelling, each is composed to capture a key moment that the narration will bring to life. Painting a full pothi for a story is a substantial work of folk art. The finished cards are both paintings and tools of performance. Their clarity and style are essential to the art.

How Does a Chitrakathi Performance Unfold?

A Chitrakathi performance unfolds as the narrator displays the painted picture-cards of a pothi one after another while singing and reciting the tale, accompanied by simple instruments. The storyteller shows each sheet in turn, drawing the audience’s attention to the scene it depicts, and carries the story forward through song and recitation, so that image and word advance together. Instruments provide rhythm and accompaniment, supporting the sung passages and marking the flow of the performance. Because the pictures anchor each moment and the narration supplies the action and emotion, the audience both sees and hears the epic as it progresses. The performance can unfold over a considerable time as the full story is told through its sequence of images. The staging is simple in means but rich in effect. Picture, song and recitation combine into a complete storytelling art. The result is the epic brought to life.

What Stories Does Chitrakathi Tell?

Chitrakathi tells stories drawn mainly from the great epics and devotional tales of India, especially the Ramayana and the Mahabharata, presented through the sequence of painted picture-cards. The repertoire brings to life the gods, heroes and events of these stories, so that audiences follow familiar and beloved tales through the images and the narration. The choice of stories reflects the devotional and storytelling culture of the region, in which the epics and related tales hold a central place. Each story has its own pothi, the set of painted sheets that illustrate its moments in order. Through the pictures and the sung recitation, the performance honours and retells the epics. The focus on these great stories gives the art its devotional and cultural weight. The epics and devotional tales are the heart of the repertoire. The theatre of pictures retells them for its audience.

How Does Chitrakathi Relate to the Puppetry of Pinguli?

Chitrakathi is one of several related performing arts kept by the Thakar community of Pinguli, which also include forms of shadow puppetry and string puppetry, so the picture-storytelling sits within a wider tradition of folk performance. The same community that paints and recites the picture-cards also, by tradition, works puppets, and the village is known as a centre where these arts have been preserved together. The storytelling and the puppetry share a common world of epic tales, devotional culture and community skill, each telling the great stories through a different medium. Understanding Chitrakathi means seeing it as part of this family of Pinguli folk arts rather than in isolation. The picture-storytelling and the puppetry together make the village a notable home of folk performance. They share a heritage and a community. The arts of Pinguli belong together.

Who Are the Chitrakathi Performers?

The performers of Chitrakathi are members of the Thakar community of Pinguli, who hold the skills of painting the picture-cards, singing and reciting the tales, and playing the accompanying instruments. The art is passed down within families, so that the painting of the pothis, the songs and the storytelling are learned over years of practice, together with the related puppetry traditions of the village. Because the tradition is carried by a small community, each family that keeps it is precious to its survival. The performers are not merely entertainers but custodians of a devotional and storytelling heritage. Treating them and their heritage with respect means recognising their role as keepers of a rare art. The knowledge they hold is the living heart of Chitrakathi. Their skill keeps the painted stories alive. The Thakar performers sustain the tradition.

What Makes Chitrakathi Distinctive?

Chitrakathi is distinctive for its union of hand-painted picture-cards and sung storytelling, its distinctive folk painting style and its home among the Thakar community of Pinguli. Unlike a painting tradition alone or a performance without images, it brings visual art, music and oral narration together, so that the audience both sees and hears the epic. Its sets of painted sheets, the pothis, its bold and characteristic images, and its place within the wider folk arts of Pinguli all add to its character. The art’s roots in a particular village and community give it a strong cultural identity. These qualities together make Chitrakathi recognisable among India’s folk and storytelling traditions. Its combination of picture and story is central to its appeal. Chitrakathi is a singular folk art of Maharashtra. Its painted, sung tales are unmistakable.

How Does Chitrakathi Compare with Other Storytelling Traditions?

Chitrakathi belongs to the wider family of Indian picture-storytelling traditions, sharing with them the idea of narrating tales with the aid of painted images, while standing out for its Pinguli pothis, its folk painting style and its link to the puppetry of the Thakar community. Several regions of India have scroll- or card-based storytelling arts, in which performers recite stories while displaying pictures, and Chitrakathi is the Maharashtra form of this broad idea. Each such tradition has its own images, styles, stories and performing communities, so Chitrakathi is distinct from its counterparts even where they share the basic method. Understanding it means seeing it both as part of the Indian storytelling family and as a particular Konkan member of it. It shares an idea yet keeps its own look. Comparison highlights both the common heritage and the local distinctiveness. Chitrakathi is unmistakably its own.

What Challenges Does the Tradition Face Today?

Chitrakathi faces challenges common to traditional performing arts, including shrinking audiences, limited livelihood for the Thakar community and the difficulty of keeping young people in the tradition. With modern entertainment widely available, demand for picture-storytelling has declined, and the small community who hold the skills find it hard to sustain the art as a living profession. When few young people take up the patient work of painting the pothis, learning the songs and mastering the storytelling, the chain of transmission is strained. The specialised, village-based nature of the art means that even a small break in transmission can threaten its survival. At the same time, interest in folk arts, support from cultural bodies and the village’s reputation as a centre of folk performance offer encouragement. Fair support for the performers helps the art continue. The tradition’s survival depends on valuing and sustaining the Thakar community. Meeting these challenges is essential for its future.

What Is Being Done to Revive Chitrakathi?

Efforts to revive Chitrakathi include documentation, support from cultural bodies, a local museum and performance centre in Pinguli, festival performances and encouragement for younger performers. Organisations concerned with folk arts, along with state cultural departments, have worked to record, promote and support the tradition, giving it platforms and recognition. In Pinguli itself, efforts to present and teach the picture-storytelling and the related puppetry help bring the arts to visitors and new audiences and signal that they are valued. Opportunities for the Thakar community to perform, display and teach are central to keeping the skills alive. While challenges remain, such recognition and support offer real encouragement for the tradition’s future. Reviving Chitrakathi depends above all on sustaining its performers and their knowledge. Attention from audiences and institutions alike can help. The art survives through care and active support.

How Can You Experience Chitrakathi Today?

Chitrakathi can be experienced today in Pinguli itself, where the Thakar community present their folk arts, and at cultural festivals, folk-art programmes and museum events that feature India’s storytelling traditions. Visitors to Pinguli may see demonstrations of the picture-storytelling and the related puppetry, while elsewhere performances and exhibitions arranged by cultural bodies and festivals bring the art to wider audiences. Watching a live performance is the best way to appreciate the painted picture-cards, the song and recitation, and the skill of the storyteller. Museums and collections may also display the pothis and explain the tradition. Supporting the performers by attending, learning about the art and valuing it as living heritage helps sustain it. Experiencing Chitrakathi means encountering a rare picture-storytelling art. Seeking out a genuine performance is the richest way to know it. The art rewards the attentive viewer.

Chitrakathi Today

Chitrakathi today remains a rare and precious picture-storytelling art of Pinguli and a distinctive part of Maharashtra’s folk heritage. The Thakar community continue, where they can, to paint the picture-cards, sing and recite the epic tales and keep the related puppetry alive, sustaining the tradition against real pressures. Documentation, support from cultural bodies, a local museum and performance centre, festival performances and growing interest in folk arts have brought the tradition renewed attention. At the same time, the art faces real challenges of shrinking audiences, limited livelihood and the need to pass the skill to younger generations. Readers can support Chitrakathi by learning about it, visiting Pinguli, seeking out genuine performances and valuing it as living heritage. The art endures as one of the most distinctive storytelling traditions of India. Its painted, sung tales keep a fragile but living art alive.

Sources & Further Reading

• Sangeet Natak Akademi, the National Academy of Music, Dance and Drama (sangeetnatak.gov.in).
• Directorate of Art, Government of Maharashtra (doa.maharashtra.gov.in).
• Ministry of Culture, Government of India (indiaculture.gov.in).

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Chitrakathi?

Chitrakathi is the traditional picture-storytelling of Pinguli village in Maharashtra, India, in which narrators of the Thakar community sing and recite epic tales while displaying a sequence of hand-painted picture-cards. The name means picture-story. Each performance unfolds through a set of painted sheets called a pothi, with song and recitation.

Where is Chitrakathi from?

Chitrakathi is from Pinguli village in the Sindhudurg district of Maharashtra, in the Konkan region of western India. It is kept by the Thakar community, who are long associated with folk performing arts. Pinguli is a notable centre for the picture-storytelling and related puppetry traditions.

What is a pothi in Chitrakathi?

A pothi is a set of hand-painted picture-cards used in a Chitrakathi performance, gathering the sequence of images for a particular story. The storyteller shows the sheets in order as the tale unfolds, so that each illustrates a moment of the story. Each story has its own pothi.

What stories does Chitrakathi tell?

Chitrakathi tells stories drawn mainly from the great epics and devotional tales of India, especially the Ramayana and the Mahabharata. It brings their gods, heroes and events to life through the painted picture-cards, song and recitation. Each story is illustrated by its own set of painted sheets.

Who performs Chitrakathi?

Chitrakathi is performed by the Thakar community of Pinguli, who paint the picture-cards, sing and recite the tales and play the accompanying instruments. The art is passed down within families, along with the related shadow and string puppetry. They are both artists and custodians of the tradition.

How can I experience Chitrakathi today?

Chitrakathi can be experienced in Pinguli itself, where the Thakar community present their folk arts, and at cultural festivals, folk-art programmes and museum events. Watching a live performance best reveals the painted cards, the song and recitation, and the storyteller’s skill. Supporting the performers helps keep the tradition alive.