Naya is not a preserved exhibit, but a vibrant, inhabited village where 176 Chitrakar households (organised under the Chitrataru Collective) live and work. The visual impact is immediate and striking: the village boundary wall itself unfolds as a continuous patachitra, alive with tigers, fish, lotus flowers and leaping figures in brilliant reds, golds, cobalts and greens that seem almost improbable in so remote a rural setting. Inside, every hut has its own painted facade, no two alike: some carefully composed mythological scenes, others exuberant cascades of animals, gods and aeroplanes tumbling together without hierarchy. In the morning light, the whole village feels like the world’s most intimate open-air gallery. Approach with respect, moving quietly, asking before photographing people and bringing curiosity rather than entitlement and you are likely to be met with striking warmth and access.
The Folk Art Centre: The Folk Art Centre, built by WBKVIB with UNESCO support, stands at the heart of Naya and is the ideal place to begin any visit: a 30-minute walk-through here gives context to everything you will encounter later in the village lanes. The ground-floor galleries present the many forms of pata (religious, secular, environmental and tribal) alongside clear visual panels on natural colour-making, narrative themes and the community’s social history. The tools of the art are also on display: raw pigments, kalam brushes traditionally made from squirrel hair and the treated cloth used for scrolls.Upstairs are two furnished rooms available for overnight stays, the village’s only accommodation, while the ground floor also serves as a sales counter for the cluster’s products.
Bahadur Chitrakar's Private Museum: One of Naya’s secret pleasures is the private collection of Bahadur Chitrakar, a senior artist whose curiosity has carried him far beyond patachitra into a lifelong gathering of objects, documents and artefacts from India and beyond. Housed in his family home, it includes antique coins, old manuscripts, clay masks, tribal folk objects, textiles and early printed images. Unlike most folk art collections, it is arranged with personal annotation and a storyteller’s eye for revealing detail. If Bahadur guides you through it himself, the experience is unforgettable. Ask at the Folk Art Centre about arranging a visit.
Practical Information:
Timing is everything: Arrive early (8:30-9am) to catch the best light and see artists painting before the midday heat drives them indoors. Weekday visits offer a much more personal experience than crowded weekends.
Request a Pater Gaan: Sincere requests to hear this traditional sung performance are usually welcomed. A polite honorarium is appropriate and respectful of the tradition.
Take a workshop: The 90-minute natural color-making workshop is highly recommended, even for non-painters.
Negotiate fairly: Scroll prices can be bargained, but avoid pushing below a fair wage for their skilled labour (e.g., Rs 2,000 for a 2-meter narrative scroll is extremely reasonable).
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