Artisans
A Pattachitra artist who has turned down factory contracts three times to preserve the soul of her craft.
By People of Odisha
March 2026
""People ask me why I still paint by hand when there are machines. I tell them — the machine cannot feel the weight of the story.""
Meena is a Pattachitra artist from Raghurajpur, the heritage craft village near Puri. She learned from her grandmother. Every painting takes three weeks. She has turned down factory contracts three times.
— Meena Maharana · Raghurajpur, Puri