Art enables us to find ourselves and lose ourselves at the same time, proclaimed Thomas Merton in his work ‘No Man Is an Island’. How true the words are. Every human being finds solace in some form of art or other, be it music, dance, sculpting or painting.

India is a nation which has been blessed with rich artistic heritage. Cave paintings like Ajanta and Ellora date back to many years and they fascinate visitors even today.

Talking about paintings, there is a special village, located in the Puri district of Odisha, which has been declared as a heritage village by Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH).

This unique place is the Raghurajpur village which is a famous tourist center for both national and international art lovers. People who visit Odisha will also make a point to visit this beautiful village.

raghurajpur art village odisha

This photo, “Raghurajpur” @Wikipedia from Carla.antonini
made available under a Share Alike, Attribution license

Surrounded by idyllic trees of coconut, jackfruit, palm, this village is amazing to look. Nearly 100 houses are there and all the houses have at least one artist. All the families in Raghurajpur are engaged in only art profession. Many artists have won awards for their talent.

Artists from this village are responsible for decorating Lord Jagannath of Puri during the famous Rath Yatra (chariot festival) which draws thousands of devotees every year to Puri.

Pattachitra paintings – Paintings done on dried palm leaf or paper and treated cloth are the novel type of artwork done here. Apart from that several crafts like stone carvings, paper mache dolls, wooden carvings, wooden toys, palm leaf engravings are also made in Raghurajpur. This village is a symbol of Odishan signature arts and crafts.

patachitra paintings of orissa

This photo, “Patta Chitra” @Wikipedia from Shakti
made available under a Share Alike, Attribution license

Tourists can visit beautiful temples in this scenic village, dedicated to the Lord Radha Mohan, Gopinath, Raghunath, Laxminarayan, Gouranga, and to the village goddess, Bhuasuni.

Thanks to INTACH, ancient wall paintings of Odisha have been revived and the village has been transformed into a temple of wall paintings today. Also, Odisha Tourism and Ministry of Tourism, Government of India have taken steps to develop the village as a Rural Tourist destination.

For all those who rejoice in the beauty of art, Raghurajpur is a must-visit for you on your next trip to Odisha.

Nearby Sterling Holidays Resort: Puri – Golden Sands

Distance from Puri – Golden Sands: 110 km, 2 hours 14 mins