Chithrakathis were a caste of storytellers found in Maharashtra and parts of Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka. They were wanderers who narrated tales from the Mahabharata and Ramayana using visual aids or puppets. The compilation of the works of Chitrakathis is called pothi. Each Pothi may contain thirty to fifty paintings.
The word chitrakathi means telling the story using the pictures. The term chitra means picture and kathis means story. The Chitrakathis from Andhra Pradesh (and Telangana), used handmade paintings to narrate stories.
The Chitrakathis illustrated their stories on huge sheets of the cotton canvas using only organic dyes extracted from plants and vegetables. The evolution of storytelling into forms of theatre and cinema has thrown this ancient form of entertainment out of the picture.
Though the Chitrakathis’ practice is now extinct, they did leave behind a part of it – their paintings. While moving forward is essential, holding on to who we are also matters. Though not practiced in the original form, some ancient art forms have taken a modern turn like kalamkari. We need to find similar ways to keep up with changes while protecting our heritage as well.