Damani, in the quaint little lane of Cuncolim, Pradeep Chitari works diligently at the studio on the first floor of his two-storey house, painting the ‘waves’ so that they are ready for the upcoming temple visit. These vibrant, umbrella-shaped flags have images of mythological characters on their central posts. Pradeep’s family is one of the few remaining custodians of the traditional Chitari Keeping the arts rich and relevant.
The word Chitari derives from the Konkani word ‘chitaroop’, which means ‘to pull’. This symbolic figure of the Chitari, consisting of two parrots and a flower on a paat (a small wooden stool), is a revered part of religious artifacts in Hindu homes across Goa.
During Ganesh Chaturthi, the usually quiet Damani Ward in Cuncolim turns into a hub of activity. People throng the Chitari houses to buy Paat and ‘Chaurang’ (seat for worship) or place orders for ‘Makhar’ (altar) and ‘Khadi’ (a type of offering).Matolis‘ (Wooden umbrellas on top of the tomb).
To meet the growing demand for Chitari art products, Pradeep has hired artisans from Odisha, Jharkhand and Bihar and converted a portion of the ground floor of his house into a workshop. Moreover, he now uses a machine to carve intricate designs on wood.
“Our art has existed since the time the temples were built — it is that old and has survived invasions by many foreign rulers, including the Portuguese,” Pradeep says. He and his two brothers have carried forward their father’s legacy.
While the distinctive art form and style have remained largely unchanged, the materials have evolved. In the past, more durable woods such as ‘chivon’ and ‘bhindi’ were used, but due to rising wood prices, the use of chitaris has declined. To maintain competitive prices, they have had to opt for lower quality wood. Also, the organic brushes and colours used by Pradeep’s ancestors have been replaced by synthetic alternatives.
History scholar and researcher Rohit Phalgaonkar He said the passage of time has affected the Chitari art. “Whatever is currently offered as heritage is thematic art, which is a pale shadow of the original Chitari art,” he said. “In the old days, organic colours were mixed with beeswax or natural resin to make the paintings last longer, as beeswax gets absorbed into wood very quickly.”
“Moreover, the colours used were vibrant. The current generation has lost the art of making natural colours from organic materials. Now they use wood varnish. This is not the art it should be,” said Phalgaonkar.
Despite the challenges, the Chitraris have made their mark beyond Goa’s borders.
The origin of the Chitari clan is shrouded in mystery. Pradeep believes that his ancestors migrated to Sawantwadi in Maharashtra and some to Karnataka to escape Portuguese persecution, while another theory says his ancestors migrated from Karnataka to Goa and settled in Cuncolim.
A small lane called Chitari Ali near the royal palace in Sawantwadi is still famous for its shops selling wooden toys and colourful ganjifa cards. Pradeep remembers that wooden toys were also made by the Chitaris in Goa until plastic toys became popular in the mid-twentieth century.
Phalgaonkar presents a different view, suggesting that the Chitaris may have either migrated or were native to those places, as these regions are part of the contiguous Konkan region that shares a common “environment-centric culture”. The images of parrots and lotus on the pats made by the Chitaris were probably inspired by the environment of the region.
Chitaari belongs to a multi-talented community Vishwakarma The clan members are adept at various traditional occupations such as carpentry, blacksmithing and locksmithing, and are also exceptional theatre artistes and musicians. While carpentry and carving come naturally to them, the Chitari art form remains their exclusive domain.
The community is known for making board games like ‘Tabulaphalem’ and ‘Gudphalem’, making temple raths (chariots) and palanquins (palanquins) and decorating the ceilings and pillars of sabha mandapas of temples with carvings. But Phalgaonkar He believes that the Chitari people must have been involved in various other crafts as well, their rich heritage perhaps lost in oblivion.
“The cultural destruction that the Portuguese caused in Goa was huge. It is very difficult to ascertain what we lost. The Portuguese ensured that such cultural heritage was completely wiped out. Everything related to temples was tried to be destroyed so that no trace of temple culture remains,” Phalgaonkar said.
Phalgaonkar strongly advocates for the chitaris to return to their roots by using the right kind of wood and using natural colours and brushes to preserve the heritage art.
As demand for organic products has grown so much now, from food and clothing to housing and tourism, it makes sense for the Chittaris to adopt the organic approach of their forefathers. “They can still charge a premium, yet there will be no shortage of buyers,” said Phalgaonkar.
The word Chitari derives from the Konkani word ‘chitaroop’, which means ‘to pull’. This symbolic figure of the Chitari, consisting of two parrots and a flower on a paat (a small wooden stool), is a revered part of religious artifacts in Hindu homes across Goa.
During Ganesh Chaturthi, the usually quiet Damani Ward in Cuncolim turns into a hub of activity. People throng the Chitari houses to buy Paat and ‘Chaurang’ (seat for worship) or place orders for ‘Makhar’ (altar) and ‘Khadi’ (a type of offering).Matolis‘ (Wooden umbrellas on top of the tomb).
To meet the growing demand for Chitari art products, Pradeep has hired artisans from Odisha, Jharkhand and Bihar and converted a portion of the ground floor of his house into a workshop. Moreover, he now uses a machine to carve intricate designs on wood.
“Our art has existed since the time the temples were built — it is that old and has survived invasions by many foreign rulers, including the Portuguese,” Pradeep says. He and his two brothers have carried forward their father’s legacy.
While the distinctive art form and style have remained largely unchanged, the materials have evolved. In the past, more durable woods such as ‘chivon’ and ‘bhindi’ were used, but due to rising wood prices, the use of chitaris has declined. To maintain competitive prices, they have had to opt for lower quality wood. Also, the organic brushes and colours used by Pradeep’s ancestors have been replaced by synthetic alternatives.
History scholar and researcher Rohit Phalgaonkar He said the passage of time has affected the Chitari art. “Whatever is currently offered as heritage is thematic art, which is a pale shadow of the original Chitari art,” he said. “In the old days, organic colours were mixed with beeswax or natural resin to make the paintings last longer, as beeswax gets absorbed into wood very quickly.”
“Moreover, the colours used were vibrant. The current generation has lost the art of making natural colours from organic materials. Now they use wood varnish. This is not the art it should be,” said Phalgaonkar.
Despite the challenges, the Chitraris have made their mark beyond Goa’s borders.
The origin of the Chitari clan is shrouded in mystery. Pradeep believes that his ancestors migrated to Sawantwadi in Maharashtra and some to Karnataka to escape Portuguese persecution, while another theory says his ancestors migrated from Karnataka to Goa and settled in Cuncolim.
A small lane called Chitari Ali near the royal palace in Sawantwadi is still famous for its shops selling wooden toys and colourful ganjifa cards. Pradeep remembers that wooden toys were also made by the Chitaris in Goa until plastic toys became popular in the mid-twentieth century.
Phalgaonkar presents a different view, suggesting that the Chitaris may have either migrated or were native to those places, as these regions are part of the contiguous Konkan region that shares a common “environment-centric culture”. The images of parrots and lotus on the pats made by the Chitaris were probably inspired by the environment of the region.
Chitaari belongs to a multi-talented community Vishwakarma The clan members are adept at various traditional occupations such as carpentry, blacksmithing and locksmithing, and are also exceptional theatre artistes and musicians. While carpentry and carving come naturally to them, the Chitari art form remains their exclusive domain.
The community is known for making board games like ‘Tabulaphalem’ and ‘Gudphalem’, making temple raths (chariots) and palanquins (palanquins) and decorating the ceilings and pillars of sabha mandapas of temples with carvings. But Phalgaonkar He believes that the Chitari people must have been involved in various other crafts as well, their rich heritage perhaps lost in oblivion.
“The cultural destruction that the Portuguese caused in Goa was huge. It is very difficult to ascertain what we lost. The Portuguese ensured that such cultural heritage was completely wiped out. Everything related to temples was tried to be destroyed so that no trace of temple culture remains,” Phalgaonkar said.
Phalgaonkar strongly advocates for the chitaris to return to their roots by using the right kind of wood and using natural colours and brushes to preserve the heritage art.
As demand for organic products has grown so much now, from food and clothing to housing and tourism, it makes sense for the Chittaris to adopt the organic approach of their forefathers. “They can still charge a premium, yet there will be no shortage of buyers,” said Phalgaonkar.
