In Bundelkhand’s booming heartland, Jhansi, art isn’t just decoration anymore—it’s destiny. Meet Pratibha Dongare, who took an ancestral art form called Chiteri, once confined to village walls, and turned it into an online artisan-led startup named Rachnatmak Arts. Her mission? To revive tradition, create livelihoods, and digitally connect Jhansi’s artistic lineage with customers across India.
A Hidden Tradition Comes Alive
Chiteri art, believed to date back to the 16th century, was practiced by rural women—intuitive painters using turmeric, red clay, lamp soot, and lime-washed walls for ritual decorations during weddings and festivals. Featuring bold outlines, flat figures, and spiritual motifs, the art was once so endangered that only four artists remained in Jhansi, until local government intervention helped grow that count to 64 trained Chiteri artists within just three months.
According to a report in Bhaskar, this revival was made possible after the administration offered free space, art tools, and promotion opportunities at Jhansi’s Urban Haat center.
Building an Enterprise from Paint and Purpose
Founded in 2024, Rachnatmak Arts emerged with a vision that blends craft preservation with social impact. Under Pratibha’s leadership, rural women are trained on natural pigment preparation and artist-led production. The product catalog includes jute bags, wooden décor items, medals, and more—all featuring Chiteri motifs applied lovingly by hand.
Backed by Local Support and Training
The RISE Jhansi Incubation Centre launched the Manikarnika Women Entrepreneur Development Cell in July 2024—a 12-week program offering mentorship, digital marketing training, and an e-commerce platform exclusively for women entrepreneurs. Rachnatmak Arts benefited directly from this infrastructure, gaining mentorship and market access.
As reported by S Republic, this development cell has been instrumental in helping grassroots entrepreneurs take their first digital steps.
Facts, Figures, and Impact
- Artist growth: From just 4 Chiteri practitioners to 64 trained in three months via government-supported training programs.
- Scale of rural crafts: Across India, the handicraft sector engages some 25 lakh women and 27 lakh rural workers.
- Export strength: In 2021, India exported handicraft products worth over $4.3 billion, according to AIR Journal.
- Enterprise reach: Rachnatmak’s newly launched website now delivers products nationwide—expanding sales, visibility, and women’s agency beyond Bundelkhand.
More Than Commerce: Craft as Community
The story of Rachnatmak goes beyond selling jute bags. It’s reclaiming a ritual art form for rural women, replacing invisibility with visibility and poverty with purpose. Women artisans once confined to homes are now earning incomes, training new cohorts, and building confidence.
Chiteri, once a fading mural tradition, is now embossed into everyday life—on home décor or wearable items in urban homes, reviving heritage in contemporary form.
What This Really Means
- Empowerment through craft: Women transition from labor roles to artists and entrepreneurs.
- Cultural continuity: Chiteri escapes disappearing walls to live on shelves and doorsteps.
- Digital and policy support: With incubation support and inclusion in Urban Haat artist initiatives, traction grows sustainably.
As reported in Indian Temples, “Chiteri art once echoed on the mud walls of Bundelkhand homes—now it travels in parcels across the country.”
Looking Forward
Pratibha plans to scale further—adding product lines, partnering with lifestyle retailers, exploring GI-tag possibilities, promoting Chiteri on global platforms, and expanding artisan-led training.
Rachnatmak Arts isn’t just a startup—it’s a social revival. It’s structure and soul, art and agency, Bundelkhand heritage and digital horizons. Each handcrafted piece is a brushstroke in Jhansi’s comeback story.
Let me know if you’d like a similar piece on another regional craft startup or a deeper dive into how local incubators are shaping India’s rural innovation map.
