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‘Jhotis’ adorn homes in Margashira

Photo: Lingaraj Panda

WORSHIP TIME: A housewife busy drawing a ‘Jhoti’ in front of her house in Berhampur. —

BERHAMPUR: Homes have become canvasses for drawing the traditional rangolis of Orissa, involving intricate line art called ‘Jhoti’. The tradition is most evident on Thursdays during the month of Margashira. New harvest of Kharif season is worshipped as goddess Laxmi during Thursdays of this month.

Despite urbanisation this agrarian tradition continues among the families of Orissa. ‘Jhoti’ is considered a mean to attract goddess Laxmi to homes. Just outside the entrance of the house and on all doorways of rooms in a house are decorated with Jhoti.

Jhoti is quite difefrent from ‘rangoli’. While rangoli is made by colours in powder form, Jhoti involves line art using traditional wet paint of white colour made from the paste of rice. The fingers are used as brushes in this art form.

Intricate and beautiful floral designs, elephants, symbols used in patta chitra find place in this form of free hand drawing. Small footmarks of goddess Laxmi are a must in any Jhoti.

Nowadays, geometric patterns on wooden grids are being used to draw jhotis and the rice paste has been replace by white chalk powder.

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