Idital

Seven out of sixty two tribes of Odisha decorate their wall with mural paintings.[1] Souras are specially famous for their rich variety of paintings based on religious and ceremonial themes.[2][3] They have invariably religious association for which they are called italons or ikons. Ikons were originally painted on the walls of the Saura's adobe huts. Ikons are worshipped during special religious and cultural occasions such as child-birth, harvest, marriage and the construction of a new house.[4][5][6] It is generally made to appease the Gods and ancestors.

These icon's line drawings are based on geometrical forms. The forms are very easiest to draw and the composition of themes are very simple. People, horses, elephants, the sun and the moon and the tree of life are recurring motifs in these ikons.[7] The paintings' backdrop is prepared from red or yellow ochre earth which is then painted over using brushes fashioned from tender bamboo shoots. Ikons use natural dyes and chromes derived from ground white stone, hued earth, and vermilion and mixtures of tamarind seed, flower and leaf extracts.[8][9][10]