Chitrakara or Chitrakaro caste is surname of many people in southern India. Chitrakara or Chitrakaro caste meaning is The Chitrakaros of Ganjam, who are a class of Oriya painters (chitra, painting), are returned in the Census Report, 1901, as a sub-caste of Muchi. In the Mysore Census Report, 1891, the Chitragaras are said to be also called Bannagara of the Rachevar (or Raju) caste. They are painters, decorators and gilders, and make trunks, palanquins,lacquer toys and wooden images for temples, cars, etc. At Channapatna in Mysore, I interviewed a Telugu Chitrakara, who was making toys out of the white wood of Wrightia tinctoria. The wood was turned on a primitive lathe, consisting of two steel spikes fixed into two logs of wood on the ground. Seated on the floor in front of his lathe, the artisan chucked the wood between the spikes, and rotated it by means of a bow held in the right hand, whereof the string was passed round the wood. The chisel was held between the sole of the right foot and palm of the left hand. Colours and varnish were applied to the rotating toy with sticks [103]of paint like sealing-wax, and strips of palm leaf smeared with varnish. In addition to the turned toys, models of fruits were made from mud and sawdust, cane cradles made by Medaras were painted and idols manufactured for the Holi festival at Bangalore, and the figure of Sidi Viranna for the local pseudo-hook-swinging ceremony. The Chitrakaras, whom I saw at Tumkur, had given up making toys, as it did not pay. They manufacture big wooden idols (grama devata), e.g, Ellamma and Mariamma, and vehicles for various deities in the shape of bulls, snakes, peacocks, lions, tigers, and horses. They further make painted figures of Lakshmi, and heads of Gauri, the wife of Siva, decorated with gold-leaf jewels, which are worshipped by Brahmans, Vakkaligas, Komatis, and others at the annual Gauri puja; and mandahasa (god houses) with pillars carved with figures of Narasimha and conventional designs. These mandahasas serve as a receptacle for the household gods (salagrama stone, lingam, etc.), which are worshipped daily by Smarta and Madhva Brahmans. These Chitrakaras claimed to be Suryavamsam, or of the lunar race of Kshatriyas, and wear the sacred thread.
Chitrakara or Chitrakaro caste is one of the many castes subcastes of India.
India has thousands of castes and subcastes, they are in existence and practice since the Vedic times. They were created to solve the problem of division of labor. Chitrakara or Chitrakaro caste name could indicate the type of work people belonging to the Chitrakara or Chitrakaro caste do or did in earlier times. Many last names in India indicate the place the person originally belongs to. All castes sub castes are primarily divided into 4 categories:
1.Brahmins – The learned or priestly class
2.Khastriyas – The warrior class or those with governing functions
3.Vaishyas – The trader, agriculturalists or cattle rearers class
4.Shudra – The class that serves other three categories
Chitrakara or Chitrakaro caste belongs to one of the above 4 categories. Indian caste system is the best system to solve the problem of division of labor. In earlier times there was no rigidity in caste system. Indian caste system is still the best solution for the problem of division of labor, the only change that is needed as per changed times is that rather than having a vertical hierarchical system with Brahmins on top and Shudras at bottom, it would be good to have a horizontal socialist system with Brahmins, Khastriyas, Vaishyas and Shudras all at same level.
The caste system of India is in ruins at present. It is also cause of bloody quarrels in certain parts of the rural India. People of backward castes have reservations in government jobs, this facility is widely misused in India. Many of the backward caste people have become rich and still use the facility for their benefit. Many in India believe reservation in jobs should be given on the basis of poverty rather than caste because there are many poors in upper castes as well.
Many criticize the Indian caste system because of bad material condition of lower castes but if they observe in an unbiased way they would find that there are many in upper castes with bad material conditions. The problem lies in power not in castes, power can corrupt anyone be it from upper caste or lower caste.
All cultures, all countries, all religions have caste system in one form or the other. Christians have different churches depending on the region or language or skin color of people. Muslims have a priestly class that tries to control everything. Arab Muslims before the oil boom were so much divided among tribes that if you drank water from a well of a different tribe you could be shot dead. Tribal divisions still exists among Muslims. You can also see the caste system in a different form in your corporate companies. I had seen different food and drinking facilities for people at different levels.
Chitrakara or Chitrakaro caste is also known as Chitrakara or Chitrakaro Gotra.
Caste situation is quiet different in urban India, people in urban areas especially youngsters don?t bother about castes. Inter caste, inter religious, inter lingual marriages are quiet common in urban India. Inter caste, inter religious and inter lingual marriages in rural areas attract severe criticism and many times people are expelled from community for not marrying as per religious and caste rules.