Durga Chalchchitra of Bengal- An Introduction

This book is a 9th-month report from 18th April to 17th June 2014 is all about CHALCHITRA( an indigenous painting tradition of Hindu deities that rests on CHALI or backdrop against the Devi idol) — once an extremely celebrated form of artistic expression in Bengal — is intrinsically related to Durga Puja in Bengal. Since the initiation of Durga puja almost 300 years ago CHALCHITRA highly excelled in its artistic exuberance which was essentially Bengali in character and nature. As the form of CHALI differed in its shape, at times semicircular, at times in proximity to the SHIKHARAof a temple or RATHA and the other times rectangular in shape, the figures of Hindu deities accommodated themselves quite carefully on the CHALCHITRA.This publication is an outcome of the project under Lalit Kala Akademi, Ministry of Culture, Government of India which is titled as "Preservance and Digitising Art Activities During Puja Festival in Kolkata."