Chitra-Pothi : Illustrated Palm-Leaf Manuscripts from Orissa

Contents: Introduction. I. The tradition: 1. The palm-leaf tradition. 2. Script, language and literature of Orissa. 3. Patron, scribe, artist. 4. Pushpika. 5. The making of a Pothi. II. The manuscripts: 1. Gita Govinda. 2. Krishna and Rama. 3. Oriya Kavyas. 4. Chitra-Kavyas. 5. Ragamala. 6. Shilpa Shashtra. 7. Rati-Bandha. 8. Yantra, mantra, tantra. III. The art: 1. Illustrating the text. 2. Palm-leaf art. Endnotes. Bibliography.

"An important but little-known art form of Orissa is illustration on palm-leaf that flourished along with the Orissan tradition of copying Kavya texts on palm-leaf manuscripts and illuminating them. This art form touched its zenith during the golden age of Oriya Kavya Literature in the 18 century when a large number of Chitra-pothis (illustrated palm-leaf manuscripts) were done.

Chitra-Pothi: Illustrated Palm-Leaf Manuscripts from Orissa traces the palm-leaf tradition of Orissa and the development of Oriya literature that provides the basis of palm-leaf art. It throws light on the making of the Chitra-pothis and the nature of the texts that were illustrated weaving into the larger canvas the patron, the scribe and the artist, as it goes on to analyse palm-leaf art: as illumination of the text and as an art form." (jacket)