President to honour Pattachitra artisan couple

Bhubaneswar: President Droupadi Murmu will give away the Shilp Guru Award and National Award in Handicrafts for 2023 to Pattachitra artisan couple Sudhir Kumar Maharana and Urbashee Maharana at a ceremony in New Delhi on December 9.The ministry of textiles awards are considered the highest recognition in the Indian handicrafts sector.The Shilp Guru awards celebrate artisans who have demonstrated exemplary mastery and innovation to their craft, thereby ensuring the continuation and evolution of India’s diverse craft heritage. Along with Maharana, five other artisans from across the country have been selected for the award.Likewise, Urbashee is among 18 artists in the country chosen for the National Awards for 2023.

Based in Bhubaneswar, the Maharana couple have not just been practising and popularising Pattachitra for over four decades, they also train the next generation artists in the craft.“Both are already recipients of state awards in handicrafts. I had learnt Pattachitra from my father and Urbashee from her grandmother,” said Sudhir, who had received the National Award in 2000. Apart from Pattachitra, the couple also practise palm leaf engraving and wooden toy painting.