_Chitari, Chiter, Chitrakar, Maharana._--A caste of painters on
wood and plaster. Chiter is the Hindustani, and Chitari the Marathi
name, both being corruptions of the Sanskrit Chitrakar. Maharana
is the term used in the Uriya country, where the caste are also
known as Phal-Barhai, or a carpenter who only works on one side of
the wood. Chitari is further an occupational term applied to Mochis
and Jingars, or leather-workers, who have adopted the occupation of
wall-painting, and there is no reason to doubt that the Chitaris were
originally derived from the Mochis, though they have now a somewhat
higher position. In Mandla the Chitrakars and Jingars are separate
castes, and do not eat or intermarry with one another. Neither branch
will take water from the Mochis, who make shoes, and some Chitrakars
even refuse to touch them. They say that the founder of their caste
was Biskarma, [473] the first painter, and that their ancestors
were Rajputs, whose country was taken by Akbar. As they were without
occupation Akbar then assigned to them the business of making saddles
and bridles for his cavalry and scabbards for their swords. It is not
unlikely that the Jingar caste did really originate or first become
differentiated from the Mochis and Chamars in Rajputana owing to the
demand for such articles, and this would account for the Mochis and
Jingars having adopted Rajput names for their sections, and making
a claim to Rajput descent. The Chitrakars of Mandla say that their
ancestors belonged to Garha, near Jubbulpore, where the tomb of a
woman of their family who became _sati_ is still to be seen. Garha,
which was once the seat of an important Gond dynasty with a garrison,
would also naturally have been a centre for their craft.
Another legend traces their origin from Chitrarekha, a nymph who
was skilled in painting and magic. She was the friend of a princess
Usha, whose father was king of Sohagpur in Hoshangabad. Usha fell
in love with a beautiful young prince whom she saw in a dream,
and Chitrarekha drew the portraits of many gods and men for her,
until finally Usha recognised the youth of her dream in the portrait
of Aniruddha, the grandson of Krishna. Chitrarekha then by her magic
power brought Aniruddha to Usha, but when her father found him in the
palace he bound him and kept him in prison. On this Krishna appeared
and rescued his grandson, and taking Usha from her father married
them to each other. The Chitaris say that as a reward to Chitrarekha,
Krishna promised her that her descendants should never be in want,
and hence members of their caste do not lack for food even in famine
time. [474] The Chitaris are declining in numbers, as their paintings
are no longer in demand, the people preferring the cheap coloured
prints imported from Germany and England.