Clay Images of West BengalCalcutta Notes 3rd November 1980 am Dutta family (Hatkola). Conversation with Bhavani Prasad Dutta. Siva Prashad Mukhopadhyay-the person who painted the entire image and chal chitra of the image by Suren Pal (cf the photo of the photo-taken about 50 years ago). This year SPM could only end the paintings for the chal chitra from Nabadwip as he is unable to come. SPM is 84 years old. Suren Pal-the grandfather of Prodip. SPM introduced Suren Pal to the Dutta family. Chal chitra-reps the different gods and goddesses. Durga given weapons from different gods and goddesses (rep on the chal). Durga's different forms-Kali, Tara etc-also represented. The Pathuriaghata Ghose family also came at the time of Warren Hastings (i.e. later than the Hatkola Dutta family). Warren Hastings and his wife came to the Ghose family. The Pat Ghose's house is nestled within the colony of old families which constitute this area. The Duttas, for instance, owned most of the area near the Shiv temple opposite which they used to own. The Dutta house and dalan was built in 1794. Just down the road off Nimtala Ghat and heading south is the house of the Tagore's-Tagore Castle, then the Mullik house then the Ghose houses-the one we went into is right next door to a very lavishly colonaded building also belonging to another branch of the Ghose family. Both houses have Durga dalans. The first house belongs to a family which patronises great musicians. We spoke to the son. Mr Biswajit Ghose-he gave me a photo of their image-it strongly resembles the Dutta family one and was probably a by-product. Mr Ghose senior does all the puja himself it seems and is very orhtodox in outlook. I was told by B Ghose that the image (including ghora singho) follows the Skt Chandi. He told me that bali dan represents the sacrifice before the goddess of all the 6 evils in a man-moha, lobha etc. It is literally a 'scape goat'. The goddess is welcomed as an honoured guest into the household with fire (to purify), camphor (to soothe the breath) and with water (to wash hands and feet-though the image is not actually washed and the water is in a conch-cf the Radha-Krishna temple in Krishnanagar). Similarly, at the end of the puja when the deity is asked to leave 'Gacho gacho' (go go) the women later come and do everything which women do to each other-sindhur etc. The Durga puja is an occasion of extending good will to all beings annually. The 108 lights lamp is used for Ashtami puja only. The Ghose family had an old plate print of an 1858 puja drawn by an Englishman-take photo, ask questions. Why weren't the patuas of Kalighat used to paint chal chitras? 4th November 1980 - Kumartuli and Victoria Memorial 5th November 1980 - Patuapara and Ramlal Bazaar 6th November 1980 - Interview with Chunder family 7th November 1980 - Krishnanagar 11th November 1980 - Interview with Hatkola Duttas 12th November 1980 - Kumartuli and Kalighat 13th November 1980 - Viswa Bharati 14th November 1980 - Patuapara and Kumartuli 15th November 1980 - Krishnanagar 16th November 1980 - Krishnanagar 17th November 1980 - Krishnanagar 19th November 1980 - Calcutta + Dutta family 20th November 1980 - Kumartuli 21st November 1980 - Calcutta State Archaeological Museum 22nd November 1980 - Krishnanagar + Nabadwip 23rd November 1980 - Krishnanagar + Shantipur 26th November 1980 - Mecheda + Tamluk 30th November 1980 - Krishnanagar |