About Manoranjan Chitrakar
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"In West Bengal, the word chitrakar refers to pattachitra painters. We have taken Chitrakar as our last name for hundreds of years" says Manoranjan aka Manu Chitrakar, who has been painting for 30 years since the age of 15. He enjoys depicting societal themes in his works. Manuji has travelled across India, as well as to Sweden and Paris. The Bengal Pattachitra is a visual and oral art tradition practised by West Bengal's Patuas or Chitrakars. Patua painters, who are Muslim by faith, represent a distinct and secular art history. They make a living by painting and singing stories from Hindu mythology, local folklore, Sufi tradition, and modern issues. Though the origins of the Patua tradition have been difficult for art historians to trace, some suggest the oral form dates back to the 10th or 11th century CE. The physical evidence of a scroll, on the other hand, does not occur until the 18th century CE.