Assam’s traditional Sanchipat Puthi Chitra has received national recognition with artist Sujit Das’s Dashavatar being selected for the 65th National Exhibition of Art, 2026, organised by the Lalit Kala Akademi, New Delhi.

The selection is significant as it marks the first representation of Assam’s traditional Puthi Chitra at this prestigious national exhibition.

What is Sanchipat Puthi Chitra?

Puthi Chitra is Assam’s traditional illustrated manuscript painting tradition, closely associated with the region’s manuscript culture and the Neo-Vaishnavite movement.

• Sanchipat is the traditional writing and painting material prepared from the bark of the Agar tree.
• Artists traditionally use natural pigments such as Hengul, Haital, Dholmati and Neel.
• The paintings are characterised by distinctive lines, narrative compositions and decorative motifs.
• Sujit Das’s Dashavatar depicts the ten incarnations of Lord Vishnu through this traditional Assamese visual language.

Cultural significance

• The tradition flourished alongside the literary and artistic developments associated with Srimanta Sankardeva’s Neo-Vaishnavite movement.
• The movement encouraged the development of manuscript writing, painting, literature, music, dance and theatre, making it an important part of Assam’s cultural history.
• Its recognition at the national level highlights the importance of preserving intangible cultural heritage and traditional knowledge systems.

Role of Sujit Das

• Sujit Das has worked for more than 25 years to preserve, document, practise and teach Puthi Chitra.
• His work has helped introduce this relatively lesser-known Assamese art tradition to national and international audiences.
• Such efforts demonstrate how individual artists and cultural practitioners can contribute to the preservation of traditional art forms.

Exam Hook – UPSC Prelims

Consider the following pairs:

1. Sanchipat — Agar tree bark
2. Puthi Chitra — Assam
3. Hengul and Haital — Traditional pigments

How many of the pairs given above are correctly matched?

Answer: All three.