The signboard indicates that you have reached Raghurajpur Village. It located on Puri-Bhubaneswar highway about 12km from Puri. As soon as you enter the village you will find artworks lined up on the road. This quaint village has around 150 families engaged in artwork. Generations have devoted themselves to the intricate painting. The style of painting is Odissi. This style bears a lot of similarity to Madhubani art of Bihar. Similarity may also be drawn between the Odissi style and Tibetan style.

But, the themes on which the paintings are made are vastly different. Odissi artwork mainly focuses on themes around Lord Jagannath and Lord Krishna. Fables from Srimad Bhagvatam. Pastimes of Lord Krishna and scenes from Bhagvad Gita are depicted in the artworks. You will find Thangkas of Tibet focus on Buddha. Madhubani art draws inspiration from day-to-day village life. But both Odissi and Madhubani art are forms of folk art.

Origins of Odissi Art

Before Odissi art became commercial, it was only meant for religious purposes. Jagannath temple fostered artists of the earlier generations. Forefathers of current artists probably offered their services in Jagannath temple. The temple needed artists for relief work. But slowly the earnings from temple work dwindled. And artists started seeking other avenues to earn money.

That is how the present commercial art form of Odissa got born. At present only a handful of artists offer their seva in Jagannath temple. Most of them are engaged in creating artwork for commercial purposes.

Materials used in Odissi painting

In yesteryears, there was no acrylic paint. So, the forefathers of current artists used to create their own colour with natural material. The tradition of using natural colour is still being followed. One artist, Lingaraj Maharana who won President Award last year in July (2025) claims that he can produce about 25 colours naturally.

The artwork is called pattachitra. According to one artist the term was derived from pottery. Because the artwork was done on pots. Over time, canvas began to be used. But this canvas is not the one purchased from the market. The artists make their own canvas with cloth.

Nowadays tusser silk is also being used extensively by artists. Since paintings look brighter on tusser silk they carry a higher commercial value. Talapatra or palm leaves is also used to make painting. To ensure they don’t deteriorate over time or get spoiled by insects, artists treat Talapatra with neem.

Value of paintings in Raghurajpur

Cost of paintings depend on how intricate is the work. Simple drawings may cost you as less as Rs 400. But larger and intricate paintings will cost you Rs 20,000.  Lingraj Maharana and many other artists take orders from all over India. They can courier the works of art after completion. If you don’t want a painting mounted on frame, Maharana will also package in polyvinyl pipes so that they don’t get crumpled before they reach the customer.

A few artists also hold exhibitions in other states including Delhi and Maharashtra. Odisha government provides travel allowance. But they don’t want to shift their base in order to market their paintings. Because they won’t get a proper environment to work.

Nonetheless, there are buyers who come every day to Raghurajpur. It is a win-win situation for both buyer and artist. There is no middleman involved. Buyers get discounts also.

Illustrious residents of village

Garlanded stone busts of three most illustrious residents of village have been set up outside the village. These include Jagannath Mahapatra, Maguni Chandra Das and Kelucharan Mahapatra.

• Jagannath Mahapatra – He was the artist who put pattachitra paintings on the world map.
• Maguni Chandra Das – He contributed to the Gotipua dance, a precursor of Odissi dance. Dasabhuja Gotipua Odishi Nrutya Praishad was founded by Das. Das received Padma Shri award in 2004.  
• Kelucharan Mahapatra – He was awarded Padma Vibhushan for his contribution to Odissi dance. Kelucharan Mahapatra revived and popularised Odissi dance.

Reaching Heritage Raghurajpur Village

Raghurajpur is a popular tourist spot 12 km away from Puri. A trip to Raghurajpur will take around 1 hour. You can hire a scooty, take a taxi or reserve a tempo. Scooty will cost you Rs 500. A taxi will comparatively costlier at around Rs 1500. Tempo will cost Rs 800.

Raghurajpur Village is near Chandanpur Police Station. A bypass on Puri-Bubhaneswar takes you to this heritage art village. When you reach Chandanpur Police Station you will see a signboard of Heritage Artist Village Raghurajpur.