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The traditional Odia floor arts of Muruja and Jhoti Chita, once central to everyday religious and domestic life, are increasingly becoming seasonal observances in urban households, mostly appearing during key rituals such as Manabasa Gurubar, Lakshmi Puja, and Kartika Purnima.
As daily routines evolve and time-intensive customs give way to convenience, these once-vibrant practices are quietly fading from regular life.
Artistry with Rice and Rituals
Muruja involves drawing intricate patterns using dry rice powder mixed with natural pigments such as turmeric, red oxide, and charcoal. Traditionally placed at the entrance, tulsi chaura, or puja space, the patterns were symmetrical and symbolised prosperity and sanctity.
Jhoti Chita, on the other hand, uses rice paste applied directly with the fingers to create designs like vines, conch shells, lotus flowers, and peacocks on floors and walls.
While Jhoti Chita has deep roots in western Odisha, it is widely practised across the state during Manabasa Gurubar, a sacred observance dedicated to Goddess Lakshmi in the month of Margasira. In both rural and urban homes, women decorate entrances and prayer spaces with these motifs as part of the ritual process.
Urban Shifts, Lost Knowledge
However, in cities like Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, and Sambalpur, these traditions are followed primarily during select months and have become largely symbolic. In many households, patterns are simplified or substituted with stickers and stencils for ease. The knowledge once passed down through generations is no longer part of daily household learning.
Voices of Change and Reflection
Joyshree Tripathy, resident of Dhenkanal, said, “Before marriage, my mother taught me how to make Jhoti Chita and Muruja. Along with friends, we used to develop our own designs and share them with others. My mother-in-law was very happy with my artistry, but my son married a girl from a different state. Our rituals are new to her, even though she enjoys them and tries her best, they are still new to her. I never want to force her to do anything that she does not wish to, so if the future of my household cannot see Jhoti Chita and Muruja, that will have to do. Rituals exist to bring people closer; they should not be enforced.”
“I am happy to see girls and women being able to pursue higher studies and careers that we never got to do. So, it is obvious that after a hard hustle in everyday life, they barely have any time or strength to learn these things. It pains me to see our traditions slowly fading away and becoming an ornament for social media. I believe our rituals and traditions should not only be the responsibility of women to carry forward; the men of our society should also contribute to them. Muruja and Jhoti are artistry, and it should stay limited to gender roles,” said Rashmi, a Patta Chitra artist.
Fading into Memory
While social media has brought new attention to folk arts, Muruja and Jhoti Chita remain largely undocumented and undervalued. Without structured revival efforts or inclusion in cultural education, Odisha may soon witness the silent disappearance of this once-essential household tradition, a practice now remembered only when the festive calendar permits.
