Bcaf,  Folk Art, Nascency, Revival of Organic Colors, The Asiatic Society, Tribal art, Tribal story, Folk Art

          The folk study generally includes traditional customs, superstitions, stories, dances, songs, medicines, riddles, jokes, proverbs, games, charms, omens, spells, and rituals, all of which are not reliant on written words. Songs and legends structure the major part of the studies among those of preliterate societies. The narratives are handed on by word of mouth, from one generation to the next, from one place to another. They are often heightened with exaggerated events of life in heavenly phenomena; for instance, when Deva and Asura fought there would be a thunderstorm, lightning, and darkness. In mythic imagination, the events of heaven and earth merge, and characters interchange roles. Myth is an essential part of Katha to establish moral ideas. Folk culture is not only entertainment, but they also bridge the past with the present, creating identity.  

          Again, the correlation and link between the village and the ancient Janapad-Mahajanapad were never lost, and the tradition of Patachitra found occasional mention in many Jain-Buddhist scriptures. Sanskrit literature largely romanticized the life of forest-river-hills where Rakshasas raid Rishi’s Ashrams or Rajas to retire for Vanaprastha. Even though India is a data-rich country to study folk, the subject took shape in Europe, within Victorian scholarship. Scholars structured varied views mixed with romanticism and nationalism. European scholarship argued all such elements in folk legends as unreal. Max Muller interpreted mythologies as rationalisations of natural phenomena, a primitive beginning that might denominate “protoscience” from cultural evolution and, ultimately, linguistic corruptions. The fundamental frame in nineteenth-century Europe was to explain tales and legends in folk as an expression of savage societies. Jakob Grimm saw them as corrupted cosmic allegories; the German school considered them forces of nature personified. Edward Tylor and Andrew Lang held similar assumptions about the survivals from a savage society; Marx saw exotic myths as a class struggle, while Freud and the psychoanalytical school found them fraught with sexual symbolism. As it seems, there was arbitrariness in defining savagery, barbarism, or civilization. Moreover, they did not discuss the process of myths or poetic motifs until much later. Increasing constructs pervaded folk studies, nevertheless, the rising curiosity extended to understanding the history of mankind.

          However, change came, and rejecting all such views of the Victorian era, the twentieth-century writers of Europe and America entered into a more rational frame. They concentrated on cataloguing information and creating systematic data. However, certain contributions from the Victorian era became a base for further observations. For instance, the twelve volumes of The Golden Bough by Sir James Frazer were the magnum opus of folklore scholarship. In later publications, Thompson’s six volumes of Motif-Index Folk-Literature were valuable as they methodised the basic elements of folk traditions. The books appeared in assorted topics: the Encyclopaedia of Superstitions, the Collector’s Handbook, the National Folklore Atlas, the International Folklore Bibliography, and so on. All of these undoubtedly expanded modern folklore scholarships.

          Similar to Victorian Europe, Indian Shastras could not overcome the priorities of Caste society and ignored the traditions of larger life, the village. The ancient Shilpa Shastra discussed art in the temples and palaces, and the entertainments of the nobles, keeping aside the vernacular art as non-iconographic. Nevertheless, the bardic art, Patachitra, with endless variations, has inner freedom and grew in a wider landscape. We can observe, that excellence in Indian art has happened in both formats, with classical rules and bardic freedom. Nevertheless, classical art did not survive time, and at present, it has degenerated into regional crafts. On the other hand, bardic art evolving constantly through the periods, also facing the new challenge of time now. 

          Within the institutional activities, folk became a new interest in nineteen-century India. However, writings carried many of the Victorian biases as well as European theories. The folk study in India is also linked to finding an Indian identity, re-discovering India and aligning nationalism. However, as the European format remained, folklore became data and analysis. The historical, anthropological and cultural studies also grew, and art forms in folk clustered as material objects, crafts, minor art, etc. So, observing objects of art in folk or their context in folk culture became a lesser consideration. This left a huge gap in the construct of folk studies in India as anomalies are evident when viewing and interpreting the trends of Patachitra as exist all over Indian regions.  

         On the other hand, the history of the itinerant bards, the Potuas who creates song and picture, is long, and it stretches through the pre-writing stage. Katha, the bardic trend, could be the earliest form of oral literature, even before the epics, the Ramayana-Mahabharata took shape in written form. It is found that many of the episodes in these epics, were isolated stories and pre-existing, like Bhim-Kahini and Kangsho-Badh, which were popular in various regions, for instance, in the ancient Gandhara, as mentioned in Jain-Buddhist scriptures. With time, even though the bardic tradition gathered many variations in the Indian sub-continent, as known, there are no chronological or historical accounts. A mention is found in Chanakya’s Arthashastra, but it informs a specific role of the Chitrakar, which was information gathering from the remote areas of the empire.  The bardic tradition was prevalent all-over Central Asia and stories travelled and merged when cultures had no borders. Certain elements of bardic myth seemed to have shaped epic literature. The correlation between bardic myth and epics is undoubtedly close. It can also be seen with Homer.  As a result, similarities exist between the narrative process of the Indian epics and the Odyssey and the Iliad. Homer was a bardic poet and like a bard, he too assembled the earlier stories, transforming myths. However, the bardic tradition in India has inclusiveness, with both songs and pictures, unlike similar traditions in Central Asia or other cultures. The similarities of bardic tradition also bring intriguing points on how stories travel and assume new forms in different localities. The story of Jom Pat or Hell torture after death is a very ancient theme in Patachitra and continues until now in Santhal Pata. Simultaneously, Hell-torture is also a known theme in Central Asia, found in the pre-Christian religious themes, in many Biblical illuminations, and in eighteenth-century European paintings as well.

          It is not clear how the bardic tradition took shape in the region of Bengal. The only reference is to Chanakya’s mention, it could be assumed that Chitrakaras were known in the eastern part during the Mauryan period. It took further shape with the Jain-Buddhist and later Hindu Bhakti waves in Bengal. The vernacular literature found a new thrust during the Islamic period, and the epics found endless transformation in Katha, Puran stories, and the Mangalkabyas in Bengal. All of these became part of Patachitra, in songs and pictures. While Patachitra flourished with various themes and cultural overlapping such as Central Asian stories, and Christian themes, the Kalighat Pat generated a new urban version of folk trends during the Company period. But history is vague and undocumented, yet it is evident that Patachitra connects us continuously with social change, gathering new themes, and acquiring stylistic variations while remaining folk in character. However, twentieth-century Indian habit, of viewing art, remained limited by various constraints. Indian writers saw low morality in Kalighat Pat, concluding the corruption of village tradition in the Babu-Bibi theme, and for using non-traditional materials. So, art was lost in the moral version until Kalighat Pat found a home in European museums. In a recent comment, an art writer also mentioned that the songs in Santhal Pat, created by Bangla Potuas, should not be ‘glorified’ as those are lies and misinformation.  While European scholars overcame nineteenth-century bias, extending to various rational frames and ideas, India hardly left the Victorian-Brahminical frame of understanding art in folk.

          There is a vital issue in exploring folk art: visual literacy is at variant layers in Indian scholarship, as most writers are not viewers of art. Evaluating creativity in folk forms and identifying its aesthetic elements is a process that requires critical culture with art, assessing the aesthetic achievement in the form. All such things are avoided in folk studies. Art, as such, is left to a specialized group, a group that does not exist in India. A similar problem was also in Europe, the focus on African and Oceanic art forms was created by artists and various creative minds. Later, a method of writing on art developed with the awareness of visual literacy where art merged with all genres. It elevated the social discourse with art, crossing the barrier between classical and folk art. It is yet to happen in India.

          The images below provide some idea of the undocumented history and trends of Patachitra which is fast vanishing.

About the Author

Born in Calcutta, in 1941, Amitabh graduated in Painting from Calcutta, in 1963. Later he received a French Government Scholarship to study Painting and Graphics in Paris, between 1966 and 1969.

After spending six years in Chennai and Delhi, Amitabh went to Paris, once again in 1976. Later he did Ed.M. from the State University of New York at Buffalo.

He spent eleven years in Nigeria as the Head of Visual Arts at the University of Port-Harcourt in Nigeria. His paintings are shown in Nigeria, the USA, Europe and the Far East.             

He has published four books in UK and India. He lives and works in Alipurduar in West Bengal.

According to the Madla Panji and the practices of the temple, whenever Naba Kalevara takes place or a new idol is made, Patachitra artisans are involved exclusively in a particular task. As soon as the work of the wooden idol is layered with filaments, the next step requires delicate covers known as the Sri Kapar or Holy Cloth. The Sri Kapar or Holy cloth, which is given by the temple authority to Chitrakars, is fixed to the wooden body of the idol with a very specially prepared gum. Camphor, resin, and guggul are mixed and prepared by fire, which is known as Radhna (Cooking). This technique produces a very aromatic cover. Next, it is polished with soft claystone called Khadi lagi. Chitrakars draw beautiful designs on this aromatic cloth. Fascinatingly, this method is used to make Odisha Patachitra even today. One of the most important and celestial mystical rituals is connected with the Anasara Pati, which is worshipped during the absence of the wooden deity in the sanctum sanctorum. To the painter, this process of making Anasara Pata is very auspicious. However, this whole system of Patachitra art is a distinct continuation of our rich cultural heritage. Patachitra is colloquially termed Pati in the village. Alongside the Anasara Pata, the main theme of this classic art centers on religious
conduct. The dalliance of Krishna described in Bhagavad is one of the most popular themes. The subject can be classified into the various category – 1) Vaishnava patachitra, 2) Shakta patachitra, 3) Shaiva patachitra and 4) Legendary stories of Odiya chronicles and a few different subjects like Raga Chitra, Yatri Pati, Tapoi Pati/Pata, Yama Pati, Naba Gunjara and so on.

FEW WORDS ABOUT PATA- ANCIENT LINK

This is the uniqueness of this art. The principal word Pata or Patta is derived from Sanskrit, which means cloth or a piece of linen. The word Pata can be found in the Ashtodwoyi of Panini, written in the third Century, Mahabhasya of Patanjali, Abhijnan Shakuntalam of Kabi Kalidas, Harsha Charita of Banabhatta, Uttar Ramcharit of Bhavabhuti, Vishnu Dharmottar Purana and many other books. Epical mentions of Odisha Patachitra are also found in Madla Panji, which is considered to be the most valuable scripture of Odisha culture. This wonderful art is not only related to Lord Jagannath but also has extensive manifestation with various names covering a wide range of Puranas and ancient stories from the unique teaching of Ramayana and Mahabharata. According to the exploits of Shankaracharya, who visited Puri in the seventh century, there are mentions of a few temples painted on cloth. There is another mention in Murari Mishra’s Anarghya Raghava drama.

This ancient art form is still alive. Raghurajpur village is situated 11 km away from the main Puri city. The entire village is an artist parish. It is a part of a larger village named Jankadeipur. Through the ages, generations of artists have been raised in an ambiance of the familiar tradition of art and the continuity of art has been kept alive through them. Very interestingly, the Jagannath Temple of Puri doesn’t have any prejudice about the caste system and that’s why so many different types of work are done by various communities of the Odisha people. Each community has a different responsibility for this temple from the time of its ancestors – a parampara or hereditary service to Lord Jagannath. These Patachitra artisans are also known as Chitrakara. They are from the Sudra family, which is also a parampara. There are many rituals and classifications related to this celestial traditional art.

VARIOUS PATACHITRA

Variation of Pata depends on the story. Numerous rituals and ceremonial Chitra Patas form a fabulous part of this ancient art history. To name a few, one may consider Jhulan Pati, Sri Krishna Janam Pati, Shashrakumva Pati, Kandarpa Adhibasa, Chandan Yatra, Rukmini Vivaha, Durga Madhab, Bamana Janam Pata and many more. Amongst them, Anasara Pati is one of the most consecrated Patachitras. During the fifteen days, after Snan Yatra and before Ratha Yatra, the idols of Lord Jagannath, Balarama, and Subhadra along with the Sudarshan Chakra are kept away from the public glare. If there is no deity inside the garbhagriha, then the temple remains close (unlike other living temples). Lord Jagannath is the only deity who comes out of his sanctum sanctorum every year to give Darshana to all. In his absence, the special Patachitra is worshipped there. Three separate Patachitra of each deity along with Sudarshan Pati is adulated every day followed by every detailed ritual in a systematic six-time worshiping. One can visualize the importance of this Anasara Pata in the Jagannath Culture of Odisha. There are many myths and stories about Jagannath temple and King Indradumnya, who was the founder of Jagannath Temple and was instructed by the Lord Himself to make the idol of the Holy Trinity as well to deal with everything related to this temple’s rules and practices. As per the most primitive anecdotes, following the foundation of the temple, King Indradumnya enquired Lord Brahma about his adorable deities deifying arrangement. A secret rule was passed down by Brahma to the king that the principal deities would not appear before the commoners for 15 consequence days after Snana Yatra. The devout king felt abundant pain for this inaccessibility of the Lord’s vision. He prayed to Brahma for some alternative way of seeing the deity, and that alternative way was the beginning of Patachitra Art as well as Anasara Pata. A distinguished Sanskrit scholar of the 18th century, Niladri Mahoday, beautifully narrated the story in his book. Brahma instructed the king that for these fifteen days, the wooden idol or the auspicious Daru Brahma Jagannatha would be covered with a bamboo frame and the top of that bamboo frame will be covered by a fine piece of painted cloth. That is now famous as the Anasara Pata. According to the Madla Panji, during the bathing festival, the deities of the temple have a bath with 108 pots of cold water to fight the heat of summer. After this royal bath ceremony, the Holy Trio is rendered sick with fever, and they stay away from the public view for fifteen days. This period is known as the ‘Anasara’ period, it commences from Jyeshta Purnima to Aashaadha Amavasya. During the Anasara period, the main door of the temple is also closed.

Besides the three main pata paintings, another small Anasara Pati is also prepared for Patitapabana and placed in front of the closed door for public view. Preparation of Anasara Pati begins on Akshaya Tritiya tithi. On this day, the temple Chitrakars receive pieces of cloth from the administration to use as Patas. A group of ten to fifteen artists, under the guidance of the chief artist, works on the paintings and paints the images of Shri Ananta Narayan, Shri Ananta Vasudev, and Goddess Bhubaneswari. The three paintings represent the three deities. Shri Ananta Narayan represents Lord Jagannath, Shri Ananta Vasudev is Lord Balabhadra and Goddess Bhubaneswari represents Goddess Subhadra. Each Pata painting is made on a cloth of 5.5 feet in length and 4 feet in width. It takes fifteen days to finish the Anasara Pati. After completion, priests from the Jagannath temple come to the chief artist’s house with a garland (Aagyan mala). As per the tradition, a special puja is performed at his house and after the puja, the Anasara Pati is rolled and tied with a piece of cloth and then carried to the Jagannath Temple by the Chitrakars and temple priests in a ceremonial procession accompanied by the hymn, bhajan, kirtan, mridangam, ghanta, etc. A Tati (temporary partition wall made of Bamboo) is constructed in front of the original deities and on this Pati, the three Pata Paintings are placed as the representatives of the three deities. The three Pata Paintings represent the traditional form of Narayan and Vasudev along with their usual attributes. Narayan is carrying Sankha, Chakra, Gada, and Padma in his four arms. Vasudev is holding Sankha, Gada, Hala, and Musala. Bhubaneswari holds two lotuses.

Present-day Chitrakar Debdutta Maharana, who lives very close to the Puri Jagannath temple area, is the main person along with Sridhar Maharana, another eminent Chitrakar, under whose observation young Chitrakars are preparing this auspicious Pati. This Anasara pata is made with prodigious sincerity and in pursuance of all the rituals. Artists follow a very pious life during that time and maintain few austerities. The principal Chitrakar is allotted a particular whitewashed room. A few ingredients of food like onion, garlic, and non-vegetarian food items are also prohibited for consumption. Every day, after taking a bath and wearing clean clothes, one can start the painting. No cohabitation is permissible during that period of making Anasara Pati. Chitrakars lie on the barren floor and pray for the blessings of the Almighty for successfully painting the Holy Trio. This Patachitra is the symbol of God, in one form. After finishing the Anasara Pata, the family priest of the Chitrakar performs a special puja. This puja usually takes place on the auspicious night of Snana Purnima. When the auspicious Patachitra is received by higher priests of the temple, only then can the Chitrakar enter the garb griha. These Patas are kept on bamboo frames and are tied by the sacred thread or Upavita of Brahmins. After that, the Anasara Patachitra is made, and then it is followed by a symbolic Mahasnana or ‘great bath’ which is performed by the priest accompanied by the chanting of certain special hymns. The deities are now established in terms of both the alternative rituals and systems and from that time onwards, for fifteen days, they will appear as the main deities before all devotees and all the celestial rituals, puja, prayers, and wishes will be made in front of them. Therefore, Anasara Pata indicates the antiquity of Odisha Patachitra and can be regarded as a unique feature in the history of Bharatiya Art and Heritage.

The artisans of Raghurajpur are categorized according to the different roles they must advocate in society. Not each Chitrakar is eligible to draw the Anasara Pati, it has to be decided by the temple authority and the royal court. Only the most competent artist, amongst those who belong to the 18 Gada/ghara Chitrakar family, is chosen for Jagannath Pata, while the Patait Paban Pati and the Balavdra Pati can be made only by the fourteen-ghara Chitrakar family and the Subhadra Pati can only be made by 6 ghara Chitrakar family. This is a general division of that artist in Odisha culture. People who are preparing JAGANNATH pata, are known as 18 ghara Chitrakar. Those 18 artisan family selected as the painter of Jagannatha Pata. In the same way, 14 ghara artisans are selected for making Balarama Pata, & 6 ghara artisans are selected for making Subhadra Pati. This is a very old custom in Raghurajpur. Artisans are not sure from which time that division was started. According to senior artists and scholars maybe this was started from the beginning of Patachitra Art of Odisha.

There are many other Patas that are related to the numerous stories from the history of the magnificent Odisha Patachitra. The popular thematic Patachitra is based on the Vaishnav topic, which is commonly known as the Rasa Chitra Pata and Kandarpa Pata. It gained popularity in the 18th century. The Rasa Patachitra has different names and styles:

1. Naranari Kunjar Rasa,
2. Anasar Rasa, and
3. Bana Rasa.

Odisha patachitra’s charmingly ornate nature is defined by fine line works and soothing colors. Kandarpa Pata and Rasa Pata are the finest examples of this art.

Another famous Pata was Jatri Pata it was a memorial of pilgrimage and by nature, it can be compared to the Bengal Pata. The Jatri Pata is not very famous these days, but up until the nineteenth century it was in high demand amongst devotees. The Jagannath Temple has always been a great attraction and pilgrimage since its inception. Before the invention of photography, people who came to visit this temple wished to carry some memories from this place. Consequently, to fulfill the wishes of the regular visitors, the Chitrakar community started selling Patachitras in an area adjacent to the temple complex. They produced large numbers of Jatri Pata in a short period. It wasn’t characterized by fine line work, but it was so enigmatic that people loved to collect it as souvenirs and gifts. Before the invention of paper small Patas were prepared on cloth. However, the Jatri Pati always centers on the three main deities. From Bhubaneswar state museum and eminent senior artists, I came to know that there are various Jatri Pati or Jatri Pata around the temple, and it is also available on great Rathayatra Utsav. Interestingly, this Rathayatra Pati is made in such a variety of sizes and matters that it should be a subject of interest for academicians. I have explained all of this in a detailed manner in my book Odisha Patachitra and Jagannath Culture Between all variants of Jatri Pati, the Thia Badia is the most delicate piece of work and also the most important one. With the presence of three idols, the entire background of the temple and the circumference were drawn uniquely.

The main raw material of Odisha Pata is cotton cloth. Besides that, all the colors are made organically. White is derived from a conch shell, black is used from kajal, while Blue, Yellow, and Red are derived from soft stones that are collected from the Koraput area. The glue of tamarind is made from tamarind seeds. Very fine handmade brushes are used to paint the picture which is primarily drawn by pencil nowadays. Chitrakars use old shells of coconut as their pot of color. Now and then, Pata is also made on Tasar silk.

This art is based on the eternal nature of creative excellence. So many characteristics, methods, and leitmotifs are related to this art. Characteristics of folk art mingle with classical art to represent a unique tradition of Odisha Heritage. This Patachitra is comparable to the ornament, tapestry of lines, colors, myth, history, and rituals of Lord Jagannath. It is strongly associated with sculptures, dance, and an ancient way of life.
Jai Jagannath!

About The Author

Anita Bose is an Author, Artist, Researcher,  Associate with Ramakrishna Mission Institute of Culture,Vivekananda Kendra, Guest lecturer of RMIC, Course coordinator of Appreciation of South East Asian Culture and heritage through Ramayana. Former Guide of National Museum volunteer, Bangkok. Associate with Siam Society under Royal Patronage  Author of Three important books on Jagannath Patachitra, Ramayana Footprints in South East Asian culture and heritage, Saptapadi. Editor of Global Encyclopaedia of Ramayana, Curtain raiser volume & Bangabhumite Ramayana charcha. More than 50 article published in abroad and India. She is also related with various social work in India and abroad.

1. Savarna Roychowdhury Family’s Durga Puja

It is Considered the oldest Durga Puja in Kolkata, and the zamindar Shri Lakshmi Kant Majumdar started the Puja in 1610 by making the first Atchala Durga idol. The influence of Shakti-Saivism and Vaishnavism can be seen in the worship rituals and idols. This is why the Mahishasura demon’s skin colour is seen as green. The uniqueness of the idol is that it is seen here in a three-part animation featuring images of Dasamahavidya, the ten different images of Mother Shakti. An idol of Lord Shiva is placed on one side of the deity and an idol of Lord Rama on the other side is to be worshipped along with Mother Durga.

2. Shobhabazar Rajbari Durga Puja

Raja Nabakrishna Dev of Shobhabazar Rajbari celebrated Durga Puja for the first time in 1757. Robert Clive was invited by Nabakrishna Dev as the chief guest in this puja and Clive was present in this puja. Here in Ekchala, the traditional form of Dashabhuja is worshipped according to ancient customs. Here non-Hindus get to see a typical Hindu family function for the first time from the ‘Nach Ghor’ or dance hall located on the outer side of the Rajbari.

3. Laha Bari Durgotsava

This Vaishnava family considers the slaughter of Mahisasura non-violent hence a calmer form of Maa Durga is seen here. There is disagreement among scholars on how old this puja is, some say that Lord Prana Krishna Laha first performed this puja about 170 years ago, while others say that Prana Krishna’s father Sri Rajivalochana Laha started it about 200 years ago.

4. Mallik Bari Durga Festival

The Mallik family of Bhavanipur mainly followed the Vaishnava religion. Since the time of Nawab Hussain Shah around the 15th century AD, they have been worshipping Goddess Durga in a single form. So, this is another ancient Durga Puja of Kolkata. As they follow the Vaishnava religion, they take vegetarian food during the five days of the puja.

5. Durga Puja at Bholanath Dham, Bedon Street

The Duttas of Bholanath Dham in North Calcutta has been worshipping Shiva-Durga, not Dashabhuja, since 1905. One of the features of this puja is that Mother Durga is worshipped here along with her husband Shiva as a deity.

6. Bagbazar Haldarbari Durga Puja

This is another oldest and historically significant Durga Puja in Kolkata. The Durga idol of Haldarbari has been worshiped daily for the past 447 years. It is made of sandstone and the idol is about 600 to 700 years old. Some historians claim that it was sculpted during the Pala period of Bengal. Kumari Puja is one of the main attractions of Haldarbari Durga Puja.

7. Bhowanipur, De Bari Durga Puja

Bhavanipur De Bari is one of the oldest pujas in Kolkata, started in 1870. One of the special features of this puja is that Mahisasur wears a coat and a pair of pants like the British soldiers. It is believed to have been first built as a protest against the British. That tradition is still going on.

8. Badan Chandra Roy Family Durga Puja

Badan Chandra Roy Family’s Durga Puja at Kolutola is about 160 years old. This family also follows Vaishnavism. So here on Ashtami day fruit is sacrificed instead of animal sacrifice. Because Vaishnavas are against violence.

9. Bhukailash Rajbari Durgotsava

Maharaja Jai ​​Narayan Ghoshal started this Durga Puja about 300 years ago at Bhukailash Rajbari, which is now within the Khidirpur region. Mahishasuramardini i.e. Durga idol is made of Ashtadhatu or eight metals and the Goddess rides on a traditional horse-shaped lion.

10. Durga Puja of Shivakrishna Da family

Shivakrishna Da’s father Shri Gokul Chandra Da started the Durga Puja of the Jorasankor Da family in 1840. The worship of the idol of “Devi Durga’, adorned with gold and silver ornaments, in the well-decorated Thakurdalan is one of the features of this house.

Basically, after the Battle of Plassey, the English East India Company began full-scale urbanization in Calcutta. Soon the scale of Durga Puja celebrations among wealthy Banedi families increased. The number of home pujas in Calcutta gradually increased from the late eighteenth century onwards. In the next hundred years, many pujas emerged, but the direct connection of our people with all those pujas was not special. During this period, Durga Puja went beyond the confines of a religious ceremony to become a festival, though it was mainly confined to wealthy families. Not only economic inequality but also caste justice was one of the obstacles for common people to join the pujas of the so-called ‘upper class’ houses of the society.

But during Lord Curzon’s tenure, resentment against him took a nationalist form. The first ‘Sarbojanin Durgotsava’ of Calcutta was influenced by that nationalist spirit. The first public Durga Puja was held in Calcutta in 1910, the year the Indian National Congress was held in Calcutta. Organized by Bhowanipur Sanatani Dharmatsahini Sabha (At the beginning of the 20th century, some youths and businessmen of Balram Basu Ghat Road area on the bank of Adiganga established a religious organization called ‘Bhavanipur Sanatan Dharmatsahini Sabha’. The first president was Priyanath Bandyopadhyay and the secretary was Surendranath Mukhopadhyay.).

This Durga Puja was held at Balaram Bose Ghat road. In that puja, the word ‘Barwari’ is replaced by the word ‘Sarbajanin’. And since then, the term ‘ Sarbajanin’ has been used. Today this century-old puja is held on Balaram Bose Ghat road. However, now instead of temporary pandals, this puja is held in permanent temples built later.

The very next year i.e. in 1911, another universal Durga Puja started at Ramdhan Mitra Lane in the Shyampukur area of North Kolkata. In this way, numerous public Durga Pujas are held all over Bengal.

The ancient Barwari Puja’s joy and excitement took a serious turn among the Masses. Veterans who were willing to sacrifice their life in the struggle for the country’s freedom performed stick players, yoga, and drills during that puja. Swadeshi products were also available in stalls located throughout the pandal.

The puja is celebrated as a forum for the expression of nationalistic sentiments as well as a festival to bring people together. It is through this devotion that the message of taking the pledge of the country’s freedom, recognizing it as a goddess, is spread.

Through the spontaneous engagement of everyone, this Durga Puja has developed from a religious celebration to a worldwide festival (Durgotsav) and got the tag of ITH (Intangible Heritage) from UNESCO this year .

There is a mythological story attached to the festival that says that the buffalo demon Mahishasura was destroying the world and was invincible. The dismayed gods combined their powers to create a sixteen-year-old girl, each placing a powerful weapon in one of her ten hands. This girl was called Durga who after a forceful fight killed the demon and saved the world. Every year in Ashwin’s Bengali month (September-October), it is believed that she returns to Bengal which is considered her parent’s house when people celebrate her arrival.

The traditional representation of Durga in Bengal follows the iconographic order of Shastras. It resembles the Durga of Aihole and Mahabalipuram (7th century). The tableau of Durga and her four children, Kartika, Ganesha, Saraswati and Lakshmi, shows the full manifestation of the Goddess as protector, initiator of worship, giver of knowledge and giver of dhan(bounty). In Bengal According to tradition, Maa Durga comes to her father’s house with her sons and daughters from Kailash, the abode of her husband Siva, for ten days and at the end of the 10th day, she returns to Kailash again. This made Durga puja in Bengal a family affair.

It is said that the previously Durga was worshipped by the zamindar of Maldah or Dinajpur. However, the first Durga Puja mentioned in recorded history was at Nadia around 1606, under the supervision of Maharaja Krishnachandra’s ancestor Bhavananda. Later, during the reign of Maharaja Krishnachandra, the celebration of Durga Puja took a larger form. The celebration was held in the building built by his ancestor Rudra Roy.

The oldest puja mentioned in Calcutta is the family puja of Savarna Chowdhury of Barisha which began in 1610 and is still conducted in a very traditional style today. Later, Durga Puja became practised among the cronies of Kolkata’s new urban business elite. Raja Nabakrishna Dev of Shobhabazar Raj founded a ‘family puja’ believing it will further his business interests. 

After his victory at Plassey in 1757, Robert Clive received an invitation from Raja Nabakrishna Dev to attend Durga Puja.  He came to Sovabajar Rajbari where a golden sofa was put in the quadrangle for him. Located at 36 Raja Navakrishna Road, Durga Puja is still called Company Puja. Raja Nabakrishna Deb established the pattern of Durga Puja that became a symbol of fashion and status among traders. The number of Sahibs (European from East India Company) attending family pujas became an indicator of prestige.

Durga Puja was mainly celebrated as a family festival until 1761 when twelve young men were prevented from attending a family puja in Guptipara of Hooghly district. They formed a twelve-member committee, which organized the first public or community Durga Puja with subscriptions. Hence this type of worship is called Barwari (baro, twelve; yar, friend). A plaque outside the Bindesharitala temple dates the event to 1168 Saka (1761 AD) but no such documented evidence has been found and the date is disputed. The Friend of India, a monthly paper published from Srirampur again mentions the year 1790 as the date of this event.

Later, when the Indian National Congress was held in Calcutta in 1910, a Durga Puja was organized by the country’s freedom fighters at Balram Bose Ghat Road in Calcutta. In that puja, the word barwari is replaced by the word ‘Sarbajanin’ which means universal. That was the first community Durga Puja in Kolkata. In the form of celebrating religious festivals

The fun and excitement of the ancient Barwari Puja took a turn later. In that puja, stick players, yoga and drills were performed by the veterans who were ready to sacrifice their lives in the fight for the freedom of the country. Swadeshi items were also sold in stalls around the pandal. The puja was celebrated as a platform for the expression of nationalistic feelings and a festival to unite people. It is from that worship that the message of taking the oath of the liberation of the country, seeing it as a goddess, is propagated.

After that, the celebration of the ‘Sarbojanin Durgotsab’ gradually increased. Various clubs started celebrating Durga Puja. Everything from making idols to making pandals started getting a touch of grandeur. The application of experimental art continues in the construction of idols, decoration of idols, and pandal.

At first, they make the structure of bamboo and then made the foundational structure with straw. Then the artist builds the goddess idol according to his mind by coating it with clay.

In the beginning, idols of Ekchala were built and worshipped, but later it was also touched by different types of art. Sometimes a social issue comes up there, sometimes there are touches of folk art from the country and abroad. Sometimes the artist builds idols based on mythological figures.

In making a pandal, first, a temporary structure is made of bamboo and then the artist shapes the pandal as per his mind. Sometimes an ancient temple, sometimes a famous architecture of the country or abroad (eg – the Eiffel Tower), or sometimes a puja pandal is built according to the independent idea of an artist. The term ‘Theme Pooja’ is a very popular term in this decade.

Even now Banedi house pujas are celebrated with ‘Ekchala Pratima’ in the ‘thakurdalan’ of the house. These ‘barir puja’ and ‘sarbojanin puja’ both traditions are celebrated in parallel today.

Every Bengali family celebrates this with joy which includes shopping for new clothes that starts a few months ago. People give gifts to their relatives and loved ones during this time. So all in all, a busy situation and crowd can be seen in the market even a few months before the puja.

Bengali Durga Puja Puja officially started in the morning of Mahalaya with Tarpan on Ganga and broadcasting of Mahishasur Mardini on the radio. It is on this Mahalaya day that the idol of the goddess is given life by ‘Chaskhudan’ i.e. eyes painted on the clay idol of the Goddess. Nowadays, from this day of Mahalaya, people with their friends, family and loved ones start going from pandel to pandel thronging the streets of Kolkata to see the Durgap-Pratima and pandal.

Mahasashti

It is said that on this day Goddess Durga came to the mortal world from the heavenly abode with her children. He was welcomed with great fanfare amid the playing of the dhak. Unveiling the idol’s face is the main ritual on this day.

Mahasaptami

Saptami is the first day of Durga Puja. Kala Bau or Navapatrika is given a pre-dawn bath. Nine types of plants are worshipped together as symbols of the goddess.

Mahashtami

The day begins with the recitation of Sanskrit hymns as thousands of devotees offer Anjali to the Goddess. Little girls are worshipped as Kumari Puja or Mother Goddesses. Gradually the important Sandhi Pujas come, this Puja marks the end of Maha Ashtami and the auspicious beginning of Maha Navami.

Mahanavami

It is the concluding day of Durga Puja. After the sandhi puja, the main Navami puja starts. Navami Bhog is offered to Goddess. Animal sacrifice rituals can be observed on this day in some old pujas. Although today, instead of animal sacrifice, a fruit is sacrificed as a symbol. Later the devotees take it as Prasad.

Mahadashami

A tearful farewell is given to the goddess on the last day Dasami. Most community pujas postpone the farewell as long as possible and arrange a grand farewell. The images are carried around the area in procession and finally immersed in a nearby river.

Originally a religious festival, this Durga Puja has thus evolved now into a universal festival (Durgotsav) through the participation of people.

To honour the grandeur of Kolkata’s Durga Puja, UNESCO has given the festival the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity tag on 15^th December last year.

For the celebration of World Theatre Day, a small group of theatre lovers and enthusiasts gathered in a cafe in Kolkata to discuss the understanding of community theatre practice in Bengal. The speaker, Anshuman Bhowmick has covered the range of ideas and concerns that we share about the community theatre practice.

The talk started with the history of folk theatre in Bengal and described how the practice started. The need of being together and living together created some ritualistic practices in ancient history. The way in which the people came together and practiced rituals shaped the form of theatre. That is how the community theatre practice started in Bengal and evolved and developed over time.

The history of Bengali theatre is saying that the practice of proscenium theatre came with the British emperor. Along with that, the usage of the stage, and architectural model in set design came in. As this style of theatre got adapted by the elite class of Kolkata, Bhadrolok, it started dominating the theatre scenario. Over a period of time, Bengali theatre became proscenium stage- oriented theatre and got tagged as mainstream theatre practice. This categorization kept the community theatre outside. There is a pre-set hierarchy that keeps the community theatre practice out of the mainstream, which was not considered ‘high-art’. In the same way, the word or tag ‘folk’ has been created through the politics of class and caste and by tagging an art form as ‘folk’, it tends to highlight it as a non-mainstream art form. Hence, the current system has discarded the word ‘folk’ in theatre practice and emphasizes the term ‘community’ in theatre practice. In Bengali, it is called Lokanatya where the word Loka recognizes people. 

The current theatre academia considers Natyashastra as the dictionary of theatre practice. Bhowmick says that the community theatre practice in Bengal is older than Natyashastra. The ancient texts like Charyapad have mentioned how ritualistic practice has been there as a form of entertainment. The word Nataka has been mentioned in the text. Later, the rituals have created songs and kinds of music that describe the daily life of common people and created pieces like Mangalkabya which has been performed in many places of Bengal. These were the root of Bengali theatre which never had the citation of stagecraft that Natyashastra describes. Though the proscenium theatre has been influenced by the community theatre.

In the present scenario, the practitioners who have studied theatre at various national universities are going back to their roots and taking elements from the community theatre, they are creating new works. The urban practitioners are understanding the importance of the practices. Therefore, the contemporary theatre scenario is no anymore bounded in the proscenium stage but also moves beyond through experimentations. That is the way in which the ancient community theatre practice is making connections with contemporary. Though some forms are not being performed anymore, the practices which remain, are evolving and transforming as time requires. It is also necessary to have the representation of community theatre people in the decision-making committee. It is essential that the voice of people who practice community theatre, be heard by the authority who has the administrative power. That is how the community theatre practice in Bengal is continuing to be alive and going forward with its evolution. 

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