Jadopatia Scroll Painting of Jharkhand

Jadopatia, also written Jadu Patua or Jado Patia, is the scroll-painting tradition of a community of painter-narrators associated especially with the Santhal community of Jharkhand, in eastern India, and neighbouring parts of Bengal. The painters, known as Jadopatia or Jadu Patua, make narrow painted scrolls that illustrate creation myths, stories of the afterlife and folk tales, which they carry from village to village. The scrolls are not only painted but performed: the itinerant painter-narrator unrolls the scroll and sings or recites the story it depicts. One well-known custom is the chakshudana, or eye-giving, in which the painter adds the eyes to a figure connected with the dead. Readers who enjoy India’s folk and tribal painting may also explore the Madhubani painting guide. This guide describes Jadopatia painting, its painters, its scrolls, its themes and its present-day place, treating this tribal heritage with respect throughout.

Key Takeaways

• Jadopatia is the scroll-painting tradition of the Jadu Patua painters associated especially with the Santhal community of Jharkhand and neighbouring Bengal.
• The painters make narrow painted scrolls illustrating creation myths, the afterlife and folk tales.
• The scrolls are performed: the itinerant painter-narrator unrolls the scroll and sings or recites the story.
• A well-known custom is the chakshudana, or eye-giving, connected with the dead.
• The tradition is also written Jadu Patua or Jado Patia.
• It is a narrative art that combines painting, storytelling and song within the community’s culture.

The sections below explain what Jadopatia is, who the painters are, where it comes from, the themes of the scrolls, the eye-giving custom, how the scrolls are painted and performed and why the tradition still matters.

Quick Facts

What Is Jadopatia Scroll Painting?

Jadopatia is a scroll-painting tradition in which painter-narrators make narrow painted scrolls that illustrate myths, stories of the afterlife and folk tales, and then perform them by unrolling the scroll and singing or reciting the story. Associated especially with the Santhal community of Jharkhand and neighbouring Bengal, the tradition combines the arts of painting and storytelling in a single living form. The scrolls, painted in sequence, carry a narrative that the itinerant painter reveals frame by frame as the scroll is unrolled before an audience. The art is thus both visual and performed, a painted story brought to life in song and recitation. Also written Jadu Patua or Jado Patia, the tradition belongs to the folk and tribal culture of the region. Its narrative scrolls define its character. Jadopatia is a storytelling art in paint. It is one of India’s distinctive scroll-painting traditions.

Who Are the Jadopatia Painters?

The Jadopatia painters, also called Jadu Patua, are a community of painter-narrators associated especially with the Santhal people of Jharkhand and neighbouring Bengal. They are at once artists and storytellers, making the painted scrolls and then carrying them from village to village to perform the stories they depict. The knowledge of the painting and of the songs and recitations is held within the community and passed down through the generations, so that the painter is also the narrator and keeper of the stories. As itinerant performers, the Jadu Patua have traditionally travelled to share their scrolls with audiences across the region. As with all tribal communities and their heritage, the Jadu Patua and their traditions deserve to be treated with respect and understood within their own context. The painters are the makers and bearers of the tradition. They carry both the art and the stories. They keep the narrative scrolls alive.

Where Does Jadopatia Come From?

Jadopatia comes from Jharkhand, in eastern India, and the neighbouring parts of Bengal, where the Jadu Patua painters are associated especially with the Santhal community. The tradition is rooted in this region of forests, villages and tribal and rural communities, where the painter-narrators have long carried their scrolls from place to place. The art is identified with the Santhal cultural world and with the folk traditions of the area, so that the scrolls reflect the myths, beliefs and stories of the communities among whom they are performed. The region, its people and its stories give the tradition its themes and its audience. The painting thus belongs to this part of eastern India and its communities. Its home gives it identity and meaning. Jharkhand and the neighbouring region are the heartland of the tradition. The land and the art are closely bound together.

What Themes Do the Scrolls Show?

The scrolls of Jadopatia show themes drawn from myth, belief and folk tradition, including creation myths, stories of the afterlife and a wide range of folk tales. Many scrolls illustrate the origin of the world and of the community, depicting the creation stories that explain how life and the people came to be. Others deal with the afterlife and the fate of the dead, which connects with the painters’ customs surrounding death. Folk tales, legends and scenes from the life and beliefs of the community also fill the scrolls, so that the tradition carries a rich store of narrative. The particular stories and their meanings belong to the traditions of the community and are best understood within that context, treated with respect. The themes reflect the beliefs and imagination of the people. The scrolls are a treasury of myth and story. They carry the narratives of the community.

What Is the Chakshudana or Eye-Giving Custom?

The chakshudana, or eye-giving, is a well-known custom of the Jadopatia painters in which the painter adds the eyes to a figure in a scroll connected with a person who has died. In this tradition, a scroll depicting the deceased is painted, and the final act of giving the eyes to the figure is held to be significant, connected with the passage and peace of the dead. The custom links the art of the Jadu Patua to the beliefs and rites surrounding death within the community, giving the painting a role beyond mere storytelling. Because this custom touches on sacred belief and the memory of the dead, it is best described in general terms and treated with the respect due to the community’s heritage. The eye-giving custom is a distinctive feature of the tradition. It connects the painting with belief and rite. It gives the art a solemn role. It is held with deep meaning.

What Form Does the Jadopatia Scroll Take?

The Jadopatia scroll takes the form of a narrow painted strip, usually of paper or cloth, on which the story is painted in a sequence of scenes to be viewed one after another. The scroll is rolled up for carrying and is unrolled gradually during performance, so that each painted scene appears in turn as the painter reveals the narrative. This vertical or horizontal sequence of images allows a whole story to be told in paint, frame by frame, as the scroll is opened. The narrow, elongated shape of the scroll is suited to this unrolling, storytelling use. The form thus serves the performance, carrying the painted narrative in a portable and sequential shape. The scroll is both an artwork and a tool for storytelling. Its form is shaped by its use. The narrow painted strip is the hallmark of the tradition. It carries the story from scene to scene.

What Materials and Colours Are Used?

Jadopatia scrolls are painted on paper or cloth, using colours that in the tradition were often drawn from natural sources before manufactured colours became more common. The painter prepares the scroll and works the images in a sequence of scenes, using brushes to lay down the figures, colours and outlines that make up the narrative. Natural colours, obtained from earths, plants and other local materials, gave the scrolls their characteristic tones in the older tradition, while modern makers may also use available manufactured colours. The choice of materials follows the conventions of the tradition and the resources at hand. The simple materials, used with skill, produce the narrative scrolls that carry the stories of the community. The colours and the painted figures give the scrolls their character. The materials are humble but used expressively. Paper or cloth, colour and brush are the foundation of the craft. They serve the storytelling art.

How Are the Scrolls Painted?

The scrolls of Jadopatia are painted by hand, with the painter working a sequence of scenes along the length of the scroll to tell a continuous story. The painter composes each scene with figures, colours and outlines, arranging the images in the order in which the story unfolds, so that the completed scroll carries the whole narrative from beginning to end. The style follows the conventions of the tradition, with characteristic figures and compositions passed down within the community of painters. Because the scroll is made to be performed, the images are composed to be read in sequence as the scroll is unrolled. The whole process is done by hand and relies on inherited skill and knowledge of the stories. Because practices vary, the exact methods differ between painters. The hand painting is the heart of the craft. The sequence of scenes carries the story. The painted scroll is made for performance.

How Is a Jadopatia Scroll Performed?

A Jadopatia scroll is performed by the itinerant painter-narrator, who unrolls the scroll before an audience and sings or recites the story as each painted scene is revealed. As the scroll is opened gradually, the painter points to or displays each scene in turn and narrates the corresponding part of the story in song or speech, so that the images and the words together carry the narrative. This performance brings the painted scroll to life, turning a work of art into a told story shared with the community. The painter, travelling from village to village, thus serves as both artist and storyteller, keeping the myths, tales and beliefs of the community alive through performance. The performance is central to the tradition. The scroll and the song belong together. The painter-narrator carries both. The art lives in the telling as much as in the painting.

What Role Does Jadopatia Play in Santhal Culture?

Jadopatia plays an important role in the folk culture associated with the Santhal community as a narrative art that carries myths, beliefs and stories through painting and performance. The scrolls and their songs transmit the creation myths, the stories of the afterlife and the folk tales of the people, so that the tradition serves as a living vehicle for the community’s narratives and beliefs. The painter-narrators, travelling among the villages, share these stories with audiences and connect the art to the customs and rites of the community, including those surrounding death through the eye-giving custom. The tradition thus binds art, storytelling and belief together within the cultural world of the community. As a living folk and tribal tradition, it is regarded with respect. The art carries the narratives of the people. Its role reaches beyond decoration into belief and memory. It is woven into the culture of the community.

What Is the History of Jadopatia?

Jadopatia has a long history as a folk and tribal scroll-painting tradition of eastern India, associated especially with the Santhal community of Jharkhand and neighbouring Bengal, though its precise early origins rest on tradition rather than exact record. For generations, the Jadu Patua painters have made and performed their narrative scrolls, carrying the creation myths, afterlife stories and folk tales of the communities from village to village. The tradition became bound to the beliefs, rites and storytelling of the people, including the customs surrounding death. In more recent times, the art has drawn wider attention as one of India’s distinctive scroll-painting traditions and as part of the folk heritage of the region. Because much of the early story rests on tradition, it is best described in general terms as part of the community’s heritage. What is clear is that the art is long-rooted in the life of the region. Its history lies in the painters and their stories.

How Does Jadopatia Compare with Other Scroll Paintings?

Jadopatia shares with other Indian scroll-painting traditions the form of the narrative scroll and the combination of painting with storytelling, but it is distinguished by its roots in the Santhal cultural world and by customs such as the eye-giving. India has several scroll-painting traditions in which painter-narrators unroll painted scrolls and perform the stories they depict, among them the Patua or Patachitra scrolls of Bengal, with which Jadopatia shares the broad patua heritage of the eastern region. Jadopatia stands out for its association with the Santhal community, its creation myths and afterlife stories and its particular customs. Comparing these traditions shows the richness of India’s narrative painting, in which each tradition keeps its own themes and identity. Jadopatia contributes a distinctive voice rooted in tribal belief. Each tradition has its own character. Jadopatia is distinctly its own. It enriches India’s scroll-painting heritage.

Does Jadopatia Have a GI Tag?

Jadopatia is recognised as a distinctive folk and tribal scroll-painting tradition of eastern India, valued as part of the heritage of Jharkhand and the neighbouring region. It is admired for its narrative scrolls, its combination of painting and performance and its roots in the Santhal cultural world. Whether Jadopatia holds a specific Geographical Indication is best confirmed with the official Geographical Indications Registry and the relevant state authorities, since the status of individual crafts can vary and change over time, and details should be checked rather than assumed. Whatever the formal position, the tradition is clearly and strongly identified with the Jadu Patua painters and their communities. Recognition and heritage interest help protect the art and sustain its makers. They also encourage the appreciation and support of genuine work. The bond between the art and its community remains central to its identity.

How Can You See or Support Jadopatia Art?

Jadopatia art can be seen and supported through recognised cultural institutions, museums, folk-art exhibitions, fairs and reputable sources that present or offer the work of genuine Jadu Patua painters. As interest in folk and tribal art has grown, the scrolls and the performances have reached wider audiences, and some painters have adapted their work for sale to collectors and admirers. Those who wish to support the tradition can seek out genuine work made by painters of the community, learn about its themes and customs, and treat the art with the respect due to its cultural and ritual meaning. Supporting the painters through fair means helps sustain the livelihood of the makers and encourages the passing on of the tradition. Buying or commissioning from recognised sources and known painters helps income reach the community. Respectful appreciation rewards genuine craftsmanship. It helps keep a storytelling tradition alive. It supports the painter-narrators of the region.

Jadopatia Scroll Painting Today

Jadopatia today survives as a folk and tribal scroll-painting tradition of eastern India, valued for its narrative scrolls and its combination of painting, storytelling and song. Painters of the tradition continue to make and, where the custom endures, perform their scrolls, while the art also reaches new audiences through exhibitions, museums and interest in folk and tribal culture. Growing appreciation of scroll painting and narrative art has brought wider attention to the tradition and some new markets for the makers. At the same time, the tradition faces real challenges, including changing audiences and livelihoods, the pull of other occupations, and the need to pass on the painting, the stories and the customs to new generations, with due respect. Readers can support the tradition by seeking out and valuing genuine work through recognised sources. Jadopatia endures as a storytelling art in paint. Its narrative scrolls keep the myths and tales of the community alive.

Sources & Further Reading

• Ministry of Culture, Government of India (indiaculture.gov.in).
• Development Commissioner (Handicrafts), Ministry of Textiles, Government of India (handicrafts.nic.in).
• Department of Art, Culture, Sports and Youth Affairs, Government of Jharkhand.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Jadopatia scroll painting?

Jadopatia is the scroll-painting tradition of the Jadu Patua painters associated especially with the Santhal community of Jharkhand and neighbouring Bengal. The painters make narrow painted scrolls illustrating creation myths, the afterlife and folk tales, which they unroll and sing or recite as itinerant painter-narrators. It is also written Jadu Patua or Jado Patia.

Who are the Jadu Patua painters?

The Jadu Patua, or Jadopatia painters, are a community of painter-narrators associated especially with the Santhal people of Jharkhand and neighbouring Bengal. They are both artists and storytellers, making the painted scrolls and carrying them from village to village to perform the stories they depict, with the knowledge passed down through the generations.

What is the chakshudana or eye-giving custom?

The chakshudana, or eye-giving, is a custom in which the Jadopatia painter adds the eyes to a figure in a scroll connected with a person who has died. It links the art to the beliefs and rites surrounding death within the community and is held to be significant. Because it touches on sacred belief, it is treated with respect.

What themes do Jadopatia scrolls show?

Jadopatia scrolls show themes drawn from myth, belief and folk tradition, including creation myths, stories of the afterlife and a range of folk tales and legends. The scrolls carry a rich store of narrative that reflects the beliefs and imagination of the community among whom they are performed.

Does Jadopatia have a GI tag?

Jadopatia is recognised as a distinctive folk and tribal scroll-painting tradition of eastern India. Whether it holds a specific Geographical Indication is best confirmed with the official Geographical Indications Registry and the relevant state authorities, as the status of individual crafts can vary and should be checked rather than assumed.

How can I support Jadopatia art?

Jadopatia art can be seen and supported through recognised cultural institutions, museums, folk-art exhibitions and reputable sources that present genuine work by Jadu Patua painters. Buying or commissioning from recognised sources and known painters, and treating the art with respect, helps income reach the community and sustains the tradition.