Have you ever seen or heard about a village where every person is born with the talent for various arts? If not, then this article is your answer. There is a place in Odisha called Raghurajpur artist village, which is very popular for having artisans of numerous artforms.
In Raghurajpur, every home is a complete art studio of its own, and every home produces unique art forms and styles. For the same reason, the Odisha crafts village Raghurajpur is called a living artistic museum for tradition and culture. This article presents a thorough view of Raghurajpur & its various artistic aspects in detail.
What Makes the Raghurajpur Heritage Village Special?
There are a lot of aspects or characteristics which come together in making Raghurajpur artist village one of the most unique villages of Odisha.
Considered as Odisha’s 1st Heritage Village:
Raghurajpur artisan families rely on various artforms as their source of income and living. These families contribute to the art culture of Raghurajpur immensely, and it is an important element of this culture as well. Many such small but important families contribute to the art culture of Raghurajpur and help in making it India’s 1st heritage village.
Artisans are a Huge Numbered & Highly Skilled:
It is said that the heritage walk Raghurajpur is renowned for its art and culture. This is completely because of the huge numbered artisans. The incredible talent that these artisans hold is also very huge. Due to the unique combination of quantity and quality of richness of Raghurajpur village art forms, it is much wider.
Gotipua Dance of Odissi Culture achieved Worldwide Recognition:
Apart from the art, craft, and designs of Raghurajpur, the Gotipua dance Raghurajpur is another important aspect that contributes to the uniqueness & popularity of the village. Gotipua is a very ancient and cultural dance form of Odissi culture which is performed immensely in events and functions in Raghurajpur. The purity and rawness of this dance form attract rural tourism Odisha Raghurajpur and ensure that tourists make repetitive tours there as well.
Open Interaction Between Artisans & Enthusiasts:
It is a very common feeling for all the tourists to meet the artists of Raghurajpur village who create such impactful artforms for the world to watch. To make this come true for almost all the tourists, there is a system of open interaction between artisans & enthusiasts.
Best Heritage Artforms & Locations of Raghurajpur Popular Worldwide
Raghurajpur is the home of some of the best arts and crafts ever invented in India till date. Among these numerous traditional arts Raghurajpur masterpieces, some of the topmost ones that attract the attention of tourists the most worldwide are –
Papier-Mache Toys:
Among all the amazing art and crafts, one of the most popular is Papier-mache toys Raghurajpur. The toys made by the artists consist of natural adhesive materials throughout, and a layer of paper is covered on it from the above. Once the basic structure is made, these adhesive toys are coated with paper to make them look much more realistic. Various types of decorations and designs are then made on this paper to attract & impress the children.
Along with Papier-mache toys Raghurajpur, there are also some amazing masks of this artwork. These are also handcrafted just like the toys, and these masks are based on specific characters and themes to make them interesting & fun for the kids.
Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra:
A visual artform that made Raghurajpur very popular, not only in India but throughout the world, is Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra birthplace. Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra was a very legendary and extremely talented dancer of Odisha who gave the Odissi dance world-class recognition.
He not only represented Odissi dance worldwide but single-handedly taught many generations the purity and essence of this dance form. Because of his devotion and dedication towards the Odissi dance, many more generations ahead kept the legacy of Odissi dance going strong.
Tussar Painting:
There is a type of material very widespread in Odisha called Tussar silk. The Tussar paintings are made on this Tussar silk as a celebration of its rich & aesthetic texture.
Tussar silk also has a specific natural sheen, which brings much more sparkle and impact in the artwork made on it.
Talapatra Chitra:
Another name for Talapatra Chitra is palm-leaf engraving or Raghurajpur pattachitra paintings, which includes designs that are made on dried palm leaves (as its name suggests).
These Raghurajpur palm leaf paintings are very popular because of their unique styles and patterns. Unique art forms and designs are etched on the dried palm leaves with very minute attention to details. These detailed and very minute designs attract the attention of tourists towards their beauty much more.
To represent a story, small designs are made on different palm leaves and then, all of them are combined and stitched together as scrolls before being presented in front of the tourists.
How to Reach Raghurajpur from Bhubaneshwar or Puri?
A very simple answer to the question of how to reach Raghurajpur from Bhubaneshwar/Puri? is using the public means of transportation. The distance from Bhubaneshwar to Raghurajpur is around 60km.
So, it takes about 1-2 hours to travel by bus to reach Bhubaneshwar from Raghurajpur. On the other hand, to plan a day trip to Raghurajpur from Puri, you can take a train or private taxi directly from the Puri railway station.
Conclusion
Getting Raghurajpur crafts for sale is one of the most crucial things that tourists look forward to, and that is why the popularity of Raghurajpur keeps increasing day by day. In Odisha and all-over India, Raghurajpur has gained its own importance and position among the tourism culture.
So, when you want to visit and experience the heritage and culture of Raghurajpur properly, make sure to prepare a complete itinerary.
Opening Time:
Raghurajpur Artistic village best time is from 10.00am to 3.00 P.m as most of the artists will be there during this time
Best Time to Visit:
The best time to visit Raghurajpur Village is during the winter season that is from Nov to February.
By Road:
Raghurajpur is very well connected with Puri as well as the capital city Bhubaneswar.
Nearest Bus stop:
Nearest bus stop is Chandanpur which is about 1,5 Km from Raghurajpur village .
Nearest station:
Puri is the nearest station which is 11km from Raghurajpur village.
Nearest Airport:
Biju Patnaik International Airport in Bhubaneswar is 49km from the artistic village.
