It’s been a while since the Odisha government has been struggling to win a GI tag for Pothichitra, like Pattachitra that is native to Odisha and some parts of Bengal. Out of the few villages practising this age-old art form, Nayakapatana happens to be closest in proximity to Raghurajpur, a heritage crafts village. Consequently, it’s also closest to feeling the heat of the steep competition faced by the artistic entities in the race to not thrive but survive. “This art form will vanish soon if we don’t work to preserve it. My father took lessons from the great Pattachitra artist, Dr. Jagannath Mahapatra, and started to use his sketching skills on palm leaves. He used the art to make manuscripts and birth charts. If the new generation takes to it, it might even help them get rid of unemployment. The government does say a lot is happening to help us but it really isn’t. Most of the focus went to Raghurajpur and Pattachitra,” Prasanna says, not crestfallen, just matter-of-fact. As he rolls up a canvas of pothi and helps his father get up on his feet for lunch, he begins to plan for the evening classes with his brother Prashanta, thinking of newer ways to educate fellow village folk on how to carve gold out of a mere palm leaf.