Palm Leaf Engraving Experience

About this experience

This experience guides you into the world of palm leaf engraving, an age old tradition where stories, symbols and intricate patterns are carved into dried palm leaves. In Jitendra Kumar Parida’s workspace the process begins with selecting the right leaf, smoothing its surface and preparing it for fine incisions. The craft relies on calm precision as each line is etched with a metal stylus. Pigment settles gently into the grooves, revealing the design in quiet contrast. Themes often draw from mythology, folklore and daily life, creating a visual language unique to Odisha. A small engraved motif is completed during the session. The final piece carries both texture and history, reflecting a practice that has endured across generations. What it Covers • An introduction to Odisha’s palm leaf engraving tradition and its narrative roots • A look at how palm leaves are treated, dried and prepared for work • Insight into the tools used for engraving and how lines are etched with control • Exposure to pigment application that brings the carved details to the surface • An understanding of how motifs and symbols are composed in this traditional form