Kits To Help Fani-Hit Raghurajpur Artists Start Fresh In Life

Bhubaneswar: Taking note of the plight of the 152 artist families of Raghurajpur village, which was devastated by Cyclone Fani on May 3, the Odisha Society of the Americas (OSA) has decided to extend support to them to sustain their livelihood.

The OSA executive team, during its visit to the village on June 11, had sought the opinion of the villagers on the mode of assistance they need.  The artists had told the team that they did not money to purchase the materials like paint, brushes and other items needed for Pattachitra and stone crafts.

Taking note of the concern of the villagers, OSA has provided start-up kits to the artist families to help them get down with the work .

Known world over for its exquisite Pattachitra artists, Raghurajpur is a heritage crafts village in Puri district. Apart from this, the village is also home to crafts like Tussar paintings, palm leaf engravings, stone and wood carvings, wooden, cow dung and paper toys, and masks.

The village is the birthplace of one of the legendary Odissi guru, Kelucharan Mahapatra.