Pujo in colour: A visual story
Editor’s note: The joy and festivities of Durga Puja are just around the corner. In that spirit, here’s a look at some stunning paintings of the festival—a celebration of food, culture, art, and faith across the Bengali community.
This story was first published on The Heritage Lab—a wonderful resource of stories on cultural heritage, art, museums and lots more. You can find other wonderful essays on art and culture over on their website.
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Durga Puja, celebrated by the Bengali community worldwide is a showcase of Indian creativity and the perfect representation of faith-meets-culture. Each year, craftspeople and sculptors (from Kumartuli, Krishnanagar, & other regions of West Bengal) create large scale clay-sculptures of the Goddess and her children; designers often work on a thematic pandal and Puja committees vie for the best display.
Anyone who has attended a Durga Puja would agree that it is a complete sensory experience! It is characterised by the sound of the Dhaak and the fragrance of the Dhunochi, which men and women carry as they dance against visually stunning art installations. The delicious food (bhog) is also something to savour!
The festivities begin with Mahalaya and end with the immersion (Visarjan) of the Goddess’ sculptures in the river.
The Durga Puja festival is now on UNESCO’s list of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity!
The decision was taken during the 16th session of the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage (December 13-16, 2021). The reason, as stated by UNESCO on its website:
…During the event, the divides of class, religion and ethnicities collapse as crowds of spectators walk around to admire the installations.” It is also “seen as the best instance of the public performance of religion and art, and as a thriving ground for collaborative artists and designers. The festival is characterized by large-scale installations and pavilions in urban areas, as well as by traditional Bengali drumming and veneration of the goddess.
The festival has been recorded in paintings by various European artists such as Charles D’Oyly, Balthazar Solvyns, William Prinsep, Thomas Daniell and George Palmer.
The Durga Puja Being Celebrated on the River Hugli, Calcutta, 1875 | George Gidley Palmer (1830–1905) | British Library
We decided to celebrate the Festival with Modern Indian Paintings !
by Nandalal Bose
This gorgeous line-work by Nandalal Bose first appeared on a postcard (collection of the NGMA New Delhi) & then as a larger piece on paper in August 1945.
by Radhacharan Bagchi
Radhacharan Bagchi graduated from the College of Art and Craft in Calcutta and joined the Kala Bhavana, Shantiniketan as a teacher in 1951.
Durga Puja | Radhacharan Bagchi | Gouche on Board | DAG World
by Bikash Bhattacharjee
Bikash Bhattacharjee was born in North Calcutta and the city’s culture, traditions and society feature prominently in his artworks. Take a look at two of his famous paintings from the ‘Durga’ series. One of his paintings even inspired a Durga-sculpture in 2020!
Durga, 1985 Bikash Bhattacharjee (Indian, 1940–2006). Oil on canvas. Peabody Essex Museum, Gift of the Chester and Davida Herwitz Collection, 2001. E301220. Courtesy of the Peabody Essex Museum, Salem, MA. Photograph by Walter Silver.
Durga, 1989
by Gaganendranath Tagore
Gaganendranath Tagore, also known as Gagan Thakur was an Indian painter known for his work in different art styles including caricatures. Along with his brother Abanindranath Tagore, he is one of the earliest modern artists of India. His visarjan series from 1915 are stunning!
Pratima Visarjan 1915
Visarjan 1915 | Gaganendranath Tagore
Take a look at some more artworks of the Goddess Durga by India’s modern artists!
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This story was first published on The Heritage Lab—a wonderful resource of stories on cultural heritage, art, museums and lots more. You can find other wonderful essays on art and culture over on their website.
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