Clay Images of West BengalCalcutta Notes 15th October 1980 am-Kumartuli-no Prodip so went to Dutta bari in Nimatala Street. The image was finished and 2 brahmins were cleaning various utensils which the women would use for puja. The bel tree was surrounded by mats and had been planted to the east just below the dalan. A small ghat and dap were at the bottom. A symbol was drawn on the dap in red. 2 banana plants adorned either side of the dalan. Kalabau will be bathed at 6 am and pranpratistha will be at 7 am. Chokudan is an essential part of the ceremony as I was told. This Datta family has a very long history and came from the Hooghly district from a village called Bali. Originally they settled in Gobindapur before Nabakrishna Deb. Unlike the families wishing to please the British their family puja was unostentatous. The Duttas (Chatubazar) of the other rajbari-the old one was the sircar of this Datta family. I was told by Bhavani Prashad Datta that the old rajbaris were originally 2 storied. The thakur dalan is situated on the north side and the image always faces south. I noticed today that the dalan consists of arches set in 2 rows. Even the Krishnanagar rajbari conforms to this pattern. I also noticed that the Ghose family image has a math chawnie but it is the square type rather than the Datta (Nimtala) which is arched type. Also I think the Ghose one has pillars. I was wondering if this was any indication-the chals refer to and illustrate the buildings in which the images are housed. The Baghbazar sarvajanin is perhaps 70 years old and has chokh-tana style. NB get their programme. am-Kalighat Santi Asram to photograph young sadhu. Down Hazra road just before Kalighat Road were rows of drummers waiting to be employed and playing their drums. Down Kalighat Road some banana plants and some ready-made kalabaus (I saw one man riding away with one in a rickshaw). pm-Bhaskar Chunder's house. Ekchala image and ordinary lion, shaj decoration. BC told me that this cost Rs1,200. 4 or 5 years ago it would have cost Rs700. Today the puja costs Rs4000-the price being shared (BC lives with uncle and family and his mother-he is a bachelor). In previous days the whole area was fed at the Chunder's house for the 4 days of puja. tonight the awakening ceremony begins. As I left at @5.45pm the drumming had started. BC told me that his family does Kali and Sarasvati puja and Rathjatra-no Lakshmi puja. They also do Kartik puja on the last day of Kartik-2 images are used. I aksed why, answer 'family tradition'. pm back to Hazra. Just off on Nafar Kundu the family puja was getting going at 7 pm. The prodip had been lit and an old man was stretching it out in front of an old woman. The old woman put her right hand over the flames several times and touched various parts of the man-the forehead, chest etc. The man then took the lamp out to the rest of the family members and they did the same except to themselves. A row of women stood to the right praying. I noticed this image (ekchala, shaj, ordinary lion, traditional colours) was the inverted kind-Ganesh on the right, K on the left, S and L remain as normal. NB-ask who did the image? 16th October 1980 - Nimtala Ghat and Datta bari 17th October 1980 - Kumartuli, Dutta house and Banerji house of Nafar Kundu Road 18th October 1980 - Krishnanagar 19th October 1980 - Shibnibash and Krishnanagar rajbari 21st October 1980 - Calcutta, Nafar Kundu Road 22nd October 1980 - Kumartuli and Kalighat 27th October 1980 - Kalighat and Patuapara 29th October 1980 - Asu Datta's house 30th October 1980 - Tarakeswara, Radhanagar, Gopalnagar, Krishnanagar 31st October 1980 - Tarakeshwara and Kolimbar village |