Reviving the art of storytelling: Chitrakathi

The once popular Chitrakathi, storytelling through paintings, is brought back to life by the Gangawane family in Maharashtra’s Sindhudurg. Ketki Gadre interviews the last family practicing this art form to delve into their motivations and the supporters who have aided them on this journey.

After a long day of trekking the Western Ghats around Bhogwe Beach in Sindhudurg, my luxury resort, Coco Shambhala, suggested an unusual activity – an art class. They agreed to it and invited Chetan Gangavane, a third-generation Chitrakathi artist working to revive this art form.

Chitrakathi Art

While setting up the art activity, Mr Chetan briefs me about the 11 art forms his community (Thakar) has been involved with for generations. His family currently practices three art forms unique to Maharashtra: String puppetry, Chitrakathi, and Shadow puppetry. “Chitrakathi involves storytelling through art on a 12×15” or 12×18” canvas, which can take 1-3 days to complete, depending on the painting’s intricacy. Traditionally, these paintings depicted scenes from mythological epics like the Ramayana and Mahabharata, accompanied by live singers playing instruments. Therefore, Chitrakathi artists needed not only painting skills but also the ability to sing and play instruments,” explains Mr. Chetan.

The Thakar community, an Adivasi tribe living in the forests, gained recognition for their art from the erstwhile warrior king Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. He brought them out of forests and closer to towns and provided them opportunities to perform art shows during festivals. In return, the community assisted the king by spreading messages of social enlightenment through their art. The artists earned their livelihood for many years through food or monetary donations. However, over time, attitudes shifted, and people stopped donating food and began treating them with disrespect.

The Gangavane family is the last Thakar community to practice this centuries-old art form. The rest gave up with changing times and being ridiculed for this art in this digital age. Chetan’s father, Parshuram Gangavane, has been travelling the country, entertaining people with his paintings and puppets. He was awarded the Padma Shri in 2021 for his efforts to revive the art form.

To keep up with the new generation’s demands, the art form is now digitized and used on handicrafts and user-friendly merchandise items such as bags, coffee mugs, bookmarks, refrigerator magnets, mouse pads, etc. Thanks to the Padma Shri fame, the Gangavane family now has private projects depicting the art form in various showrooms, museums, and tourist sites.

The family has also self-funded a Chitrakathi art museum in their ancestral village of Pinguli in Sindhudurg district and is motivated to keep the legacy going. They are soon opening an art homestay where students and art enthusiasts can attend Chitrakathi art workshops spanning from one day to 4 weeks and stay in the family-run homestay premises. The homestay will give them an authentic Malvan experience with food and culture.

Since art has finally found its place, the people who have supported it throughout the tough times must be appreciative. Art colleges, private art studios, and local resorts have stood with them. On asking the resort why they were supporting a local artist, the founder Giles Knapton, Founder of Coco Shambhala says, “Our aim at Coco Shambhala is to have a positive impact on the local community which welcomes us and a minimal on the environment which supports us.” Indeed, by engaging with guests at the property, the artists have gained exposure and interaction, while visitors have enjoyed an “offbeat tourist experience.”