Deevara Chittara by Center for Revival of Indigenous Art (India)

Chittara is a lesser known folk art practiced by several communities in the Malenadu region of Karnataka state, India. It is a painting done on the walls of houses for special occasions such as weddings and festivals. The Deevaru, an agrarian community of nature worshippers, are highly regarded for their refined chittara. The lines and patterns of these paintings symbolize aspects of nature and depict the community’s life and lifestyle. The artform embodies the community’s socio-cultural ethos.

Deevara Chittara (Prism Books, 2025) is a visual documentation of this living tradition carried forward by the women of the Deevaru community. The vivid images capture the rich tapestry of Deevaru lifestyle and its intrinsic relationship with the artform. The book is the culmination of the Deevara Chittara Project initiated by the Center for Revival of Indigenous Art (CFRIA), a non-profit organization dedicated to the preservation and revival of Chittara.

Over the past 20 years, CFRIA has showcased Chittara through events, lec-dems, workshops at various educational, cultural institutions, and exhibitions. Chittara murals executed by CFRIA can be witnessed at Indira Gandhi National Centre for Arts, Indian Music Experience Museum, Science Gallery Bengaluru, among other venues.