Puri District, Odisha · 13 August 2026
Master Artisan Series · The Lineage
Some artists learn a craft. Some spend a lifetime becoming part of it. Mukunda Chandra Mohanty, a master artisan from Odisha, belongs to the second kind.
Born in Balang Village, around 35 kilometres from the renowned Raghurajpur Heritage Village in Odisha’s Puri district, Mukunda grew up in a landscape where art was never far from everyday life. Odisha has long been home to extraordinary traditions of painting and craftsmanship, with knowledge passed from one generation to another through observation, practice, and years spent at the hands of experienced masters.
For Mukunda, that heritage became a calling.
He chose to dedicate his life to Pattachitra, one of Odisha’s most distinctive traditional painting traditions. It is an art form known for its intricate compositions, disciplined line work, natural colours, and deep connection with the mythology and cultural traditions of Odisha.
The discipline of a lifetime
But mastering Pattachitra is not something that happens quickly. It requires an artist to understand not only how to paint, but how to prepare, observe, compose, and work with patience. Every line has purpose. Every detail contributes to the story. The discipline of the craft demands that an artist develop precision over years rather than days.
Under a guru’s guidance
Mukunda’s journey into this world was shaped by one of the most important relationships in traditional Indian craftsmanship — the relationship between guru and shishya.
He had the opportunity to learn under the guidance of the late Guru Gokulinanda Pattanaik, a highly respected master of Pattachitra. Under his mentorship, Mukunda spent years observing the techniques, discipline, and artistic principles that define this ancient tradition.
The learning was not simply about reproducing a particular style. It was about understanding the language of the art itself.
Heritage does not remain alive by simply being remembered. It remains alive when someone continues to practise it.
Mukunda Chandra Mohanty
Through years of dedicated practice, Mukunda refined his skills and developed the patience required to create intricate Pattachitra works by hand. What may appear to a viewer as a simple line or carefully placed colour often represents years of experience behind the brush.
That is the quiet nature of traditional craftsmanship. The final artwork receives the attention. The years that made the artwork possible often remain unseen.
Carrying a tradition forward
Today, Mukunda Chandra Mohanty stands as an experienced practitioner of Odisha’s Pattachitra tradition, continuing to create meticulously handcrafted works while carrying forward the knowledge he received from his own guru.
His work represents something larger than individual artistic expression. It represents continuity. A tradition survives when knowledge moves from one generation to the next. A guru teaches a student. The student practices, makes mistakes, learns, refines, and eventually develops the confidence to carry the craft forward in his own hands.
That cycle is how cultural traditions remain alive.
Why it matters now
In a rapidly changing world, where art can be reproduced instantly and visual styles can be created at the click of a button, the value of such craftsmanship becomes even more meaningful.
A traditional Pattachitra artwork is not simply an image. It is the result of time, discipline, cultural memory, and human skill coming together on a single surface. Every carefully rendered detail carries something of Odisha’s artistic identity. And behind every finished work is an artisan who has spent years learning how to make those details possible.
For Mukunda Chandra Mohanty, this has become more than a profession. It is a responsibility — to the craft, to the tradition, and to the generations of artists who came before him.
His journey reminds us that heritage does not remain alive by simply being remembered. It remains alive when someone continues to practise it. When an experienced hand picks up the brush. When an old technique is carefully repeated. When knowledge passed down by a master finds expression in the hands of another generation.
That is the significance of Mukunda Chandra Mohanty’s work. He is not merely creating Pattachitra. He is carrying forward a tradition that has travelled through generations of Odisha’s artistic history — and ensuring that its language continues to be seen, understood, and appreciated by generations yet to come.
Because a true master artisan does more than perfect a craft.
He becomes one of the hands through which that craft survives.
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