Susanta Pattnayak (Bhubaneswar, India)

Where, every house a studio
village an art gallery
every wall a mural
every villager an artist
Where, cloth, paper, silk and the leaves
elegantly rhyme the hue of life
On the bank of 'Bhargavi'
surrounded by coconut trees
palm, mango, betel and paddy fields;
Lead me to 'Raghurajpur',
the abode of effulgent artists.

The 'Chitrakara' and his wife,
their children alike
herbal, natural colors with
from precision till finish
paint the 'Pattachitra' on fabric
depicting the folklore, bucolic cultural legacy
sing the hymn, the lyrics and the chores of life.

Commend you,
your progenitors, descendants alike
for persisting the legacy
and burgeoning the eternal art
to ageless glory.