pls visit http://sanhati.com
Pukuria village is in the Mandribazar police district of South 24 Parganas, West Bengal. Right next to the pitch road through which several bus routes run, there are some small brick buildings with tiled roofs. One of these is the workplace of the shola artist Kamal Bairagi (42). When I met him, he was working with the front door closed. The back door was open and looked over a rivulet that flowed behind the building. There was a small boat anchored in the water. He mentioned that he would need the boat to go the fields to answer nature’s call. Talking with him, I was able to learn some things about shola and the shola industry.
Mr. Bairagi had been a van rickshaw driver since the age of 15. Afterwards, he left that profession, and for the next 20-25 years was able to make a living by making artworks out of shola. His house, in the Bazarberia village, is a short distance away. That village lacks electricity, and has poorly maintained roads. This is why he has rented a PWD owned house in the Pukuria village. This house is on a bus route, and also electricity is available as power lines run by the road. This helps the artist to easily communicate with the buyers. However, it is PWD property, hence the government can make him move any day.
His wife Ratna (39), and two sons Deepak (25) and Dilip (18) all work in the Shola workshop with him. His two daughters Shikha (24) and Rekha(18), both of whom are married, continue the work in their married homes in Chitraganj and Bazarberia respectively. The daughters of the shola artists in this region enter their married homes with the tradition of the artwork. I asked Mr. Bairagi some questions about his profits and losses. The replies that came through reflected despair and dejection from the systematic deprivation that he has been subjected to in his career as an artist.
With an investment of Rs 500 for the raw materials, the resultant products can be sold for Rs 700 to Rs 900. This means there is a profit of Rs. 200-400 net profit with this investment. As a result, with all four people working, the profit is around Rs 3000 from a monthly investment of Rs 5000.
On the other hand, Shyamal Gayen and Bimal Gayen of the same village have become extremely wealthy by being able to invest heavily with their capital. Larger corporations based out of Dharmatolla, Kolkata, order artworks with specific designs meant for export to foreign countries like USA, France, England, Russia, Japan and Singapore, with resulting profits in tens of millions of Rupees. The artists themselves get very little of the profits, and are barely able to survive. The local businessmen buy their art works for 40-50 paise (100 paise = 1 Rupee) and sell it to firms based in Dharmatolla for a much larger profit who in turn export these products abroad at a higher rate.
If the government would invest 100,000-200,000 Rupees or would take direct responsibility of purchasing and marketing the artworks, then the middlemen who do not do any of the work would not be able to make these huge profit margins. On picking up one of the design catalogs that he was working off, I noticed the word “Espana”. This indicated to me that a Spanish firm had possibly ordered these goods.
Mr. Bairagi showed me the awards he had received over the years. These included the first prize in the district level and the second prize overall in the state level in a statewide cottage industries and craft competition in 2001-02. He had also received a similar award in 1999-2000 for his creations. The government (DIC) employed him as a trainer for shola artists. He gave extensive training to the apprentices in the Mandirabazar, Jayanagar and the Nimpith areas.
However, even in this field, he complained of being deprived. NGO’s often use people like him to train artists. The government allots Rs. 2000 per person for training 20 people. Rs. 4000 was stipulated for the expenses of raw materials, tools, and for the lunch meals of the trainers. The Sunderbans development center, which is base in Lakshmikantapur – Dayaranpur area was given money by the government, and they had previously employed Mr. Bairagi as a trainer. But this time, they are having the training completed by a person who is not an artist. Mr. Bairagi feels exploited.
On the invitation of different state run organizations, Mr. Bairagi has participated in different state fairs and continues to do so. He has been attending the cottage industry fair organized by the DRC for the past five years. This year (2009), he will be going to the fair in Kolkata which will be starting on 13th January and will continue for 22-23 days. He has already created shola flowers enough to which fill a sack for this event. He was also present in the “Milan Mela” cottage fair which began last March.
The future of the shola industry looks promising due to self-initiatives and rising demands. This cottage industry is gradually making inroads into many homes in many villages. According to Mr. Bairagi, one positive aspect of this promising low-capital industry is its pollution-free nature.
This is an agro-based industry. Thus, not only shola industry, but shola farming is also speading to some areas in the South 24 Parganas. The shola tree grows mainly in the wet regions. Shola produced in wet regions like Bonga, Habra, Boshirhat, Kalyani in Bangladesh or India-Bangadesh border is big, fat, soft and fresh and happens to be the best quality shola. Farming was done in this area while the market was in Howrah. Mr. Bairagi and others used to buy shola trees from Howrah before.
Nowadays, the shola art supplies are available for trading every Saturday from 5 a.m. to 8-9 p.m at the Pukuria market . Hindu and Muslim farmers from villages like Bankar Dar, Ishwaripur of the Joynagar and Magarhat police district bring shola trees for selling in the market.
Bundles of shola trees are referred to as ‘Tari’ in the regional language. One tari comprises of 8/10/15 shola trees. Thin shola tari may cost Rs 4 a piece while good quality shola tari may be upto Rs 20. As per Mr. Bairagi’s information, shola art accessories include white thread, Fevicol, glue, 8-10 chemical colors like yellow, red, green brown etc. Instruments needed are 1) kati- to cut two types of shola tree, 2) 6-7 types of designer knives, 3) batali (small)- three varieties. Apart from these, paper cutting scissors are required.
A bit of history
The first shola works started in this Mandirbajar police district of South 24 Parganas, in the village of Maheshpur, approximately 200 years ago. As per Mr. Bairagi’s knowledge, artists from Maheshpur probably learnt their craft from Howrah. Gradually, the shola works spread to the neighboring villages.
About 100 years ago, Mokimpur started shola art works, followed by Pukuria 40-50 years back. Currently, 100% of the population in Maheshpur and around 99% in Pukuria are involved in shola works. Apart from these place, villages like Hattalam Gokulnagar, Sundir Hat,Kalitala, Gopalnagar have also started shola works.
The shola artworks are packaged in containers and exported outside the country via ships from Tuticorin harbor in Madras (Chennai). The shola artists previously created topor (conical shola hat used for weddings), kalka ( decorations used in worship), deity ornaments, Kadam flower, chandmala (garlands for worship decorations) and others.
Mr. Bairagi said that the first flower decorations were started by Montu Gayen of Mokimpur and Bhishma Koyal of Maheshpur. Later, others joined in. The exquisite models of rose and chrysanthemum made from shola can be only found in a few villages in the Mandirbajar police district. Shirakol, Amtala, Baruipur and other areas in the South 24 Parganas have also started shola works.
The first shola works started here in the Mali neighborhood of Maheshpur village. Practically, this is a “Halder” neighborhood as all artisans here have “Halder” surnames. But since they create chandmala and other decorations for deities, they are refered as Malakar/Mali (regional name for people making garland), hence the neighborhood name, said 23 year old Radharani Halder. Veteran Sudhir Kumar Halder (69) , sitting on the area next to his stairs, told us that shola works started in the times of his great grandfather, Gorachand Halder. His grandfather, Motilal Halder, was the eldest of the four brothers and his father, Jyotish Halder, passed away in 1973 at the age of 65. Pradip Halder (45) is Sudhir’s son. Counting Sudhir’s grandson, 6 generations in his family are involved in the shola works spanning about 150-200 years. Sudhir has his own farmland of 1 acre. Sudhir told us that trading of shola art works is their profession. Kamal Bairagi has told that he does not posses any farmland.
Rising demands
Sudhir’s family makes shola crowns,topor and deity ornaments. Their garlands are sent to different regions like Barabazar, Kumartuli, Kakdwip, Diamond Harbor etc. Their shola works are sent to Delhi, Bombay from Kumartuli. Sudhir’s paternal uncle is the famed artist, Rabindranath Halder, whose creations are sent to even USA. Rabindranath is adept at creating various types of dolls. A few months back, he went to Delhi to create a wedding structure (pandal).
Pradip told us that the demand for this craft is on the rise. A lot more people are now involved in this trade. Local physiotherapist, Subrata Halder (31), informed us that many villages namely Banshberia, Moukhali, Hattala,Rangaberia, Chaitanyapur and Muldia have started shola works. Local resident, Sudhangshu Halder has employed people in Mirzapur, Rambati and Gopalpur. Kartik Halder told us that shola works are exported to USA, Hong Kong and Singapore through Madras.
Rathindranath (25), Rabindranath’s son, told us that almost 20 thousand people in the nearby 20-25 villages are involved in this trade and approximately Rs 15-20 lakhs worth goods are traded every month.
Shola works are in demand abroad for cinema decoration, interior and exterior decoration. Recently, the fake plastic flower industry has captured some of the market. Home decorations made from date leaves and palm leaves also have a market presence. These two have a market share of 5% in the Maheshpur village and in the overall Mandirabazar police district.
Showing posts with label Chandmala. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Chandmala. Show all posts
Thursday, April 1, 2010
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Manasa
Before getting on with this very interesting tale of religion and romance it is necessary to say a few words about Manasa, the Hindu goddess who plays a major role in it.
In most ancient Hindu religious texts Manasa is said to be the daughter of Kasyapa, a famous sage, and Kadru, the sister of the serpent-king Sesha. Unlike her uncle Manasa is still actively worshipped as a goddess who protects and saves humans from snake-bites. Her cult is most prevalent in Bengal where she is ceremoniously worshipped in temples. She is also attributed with the powers of curing infectious diseases like small-pox and of bringing wealth and prosperity. At the onset of the rainy season, when the snakes are most active, she is ritually invoked with sacrifices and offerings. She is probably a pre-Aryan goddess but this tale is of more recent vintage and comes from Bengal where she is most revered and tells how she gained recognition for herself as a potent member of the Hindu pantheon.
Not too long ago, in the fair and lovely land of Bengal, there lived a rich merchant named Chand. He was blessed with six sons but was, unfortunately a widower. Nevertheless he was always attentive to his sons' needs and they never felt the absence of a mother in their lives. They all lived in a beautiful mansion surrounded by colorful gardens nestling by the curvaceous banks of the Ganges. Chand was a devout worshipper of Shiva. He was so ardent in his devotions that he refused to acknowledge any other god or goddess. Manasa heard of this. At that time she had no devotees on earth and she became determined to force Chand to offer worship to her and become her first follower. Since Chand was well-known and widely respected she was sure that if she could get him to worship her other people would follow and she would soon have a large number of devotees. So Manasa approached Chand and ordered him to offer worship to her. Chand was not impressed with the goddess's demand. He ignored her and insulted her, calling her an ugly, black, one-eyed witch who ate frogs. He absolutely refused to give up worship of such a sweet lord as Shiva for a miserable creature like her.
Manasa was furious and, in retribution, dsestroyed Chand's beautiful gardens but Chand had been granted magical powers by Shiva and, with these, rebuilt his gardens instantly. So Manasa devised a new plan to ensnare Chand. She transformed herself into a beautiful maiden and appeared before Chand. Chand was a widower and was enchanted by the beauty of the maiden. He resolved to make her his bride and, without delay, approached her with his marriage proposal. The disguised Manasa was overjoyed with her success and very shrewdly told Chand that she would agree to become his wife if only he conceded his magical powers to her. Chand was so charmed by Manasa's outward appearance that he readily agreed and they were married with great pomp and glory. As soon as this was done, on their wedding night, when Chand approached his new bride, Manasa revealed her true self. She demanded, as before, that Chand forsake Shiva and take up worshipping her. Though greatly shocked Chand was adamant and absolutely refused to worship someone he thought of as the ugly snake woman. This angered Manasa even further and she destroyed Chand's gardens again. This time, as Chand had bequeathed his magical powers to Manasa, he could not rebuild them again. Yet he would not give in to the goddess's demand.
The infuriated goddess now resolved to torment Chand till he would agree to succumb to her wishes. First she had each of Chand's sons, one by one, to get bitten by poisonous snakes. They all died. When Chand still did not submit to her she had his cargo-laden ships capsized. He himself was cast away on a solitary island and he had to overcome a great number of hardships before he could get back home. Still he refused to become his devotee. He started his life all over again. Of all his near and dear ones there was no-one left. This caused him great sorrow but, with great perseverance and industry, Chand rebuild his fortunes and regained his former eminence in the community. He remarried and, soon, a son was born to him. With immense love and affection Chand named him Lakhinder.
The years passed gently and Lakhinder grew up to be a handsome young lad. Everyone loved him for his sweet nature. Chand began to look around for a suitable bride for him. Ultimately he chose Beulah, a lovely girl who he thought would make the perfect match for his son. The couple was betrothed and the wedding date was fixed. Manasa, who had not yet given up her resolve to subdue Chand, heard of this and approached him and again demanded that he give up worship of Shiva and become her follower. As usual Chand refused and Manasa grew furious at his insolence. She threatened him that if he did not do she wanted she would have his son Lakhinder bitten by a poisonous snake on his wedding night but Chand was not one to be easily intimidated. He began building a room made entirely of metal in which he resolved that Lakhinder would spend his wedding night with his bride Beulah.
No snake would ever be able to get into the thoroughly sealed metal cabin. Manasa heard of his plan and appeared before the architect who was to build the metal bridal chamber. She was terrible to look at and was known to be vengeful and bad-tempered. The architect was easily intimidated by her reputation and when she told him that she wanted him to leave a small hole in the door of the metal chamber he fearfully agreed. So Lakhinder's bridal chamber was built. From the outside it look invulnerable but the architect had, in mortal fear of Manasa, left a small hole at the bottom of the only door.
The wedding of Lakhinder and Beulah took place as scheduled with appropriate ceremony. Chand did not spare any effort or money to make the wedding of his only son and heir a memorable event in that part of the country. After the ceremonies and celebrations were over and it was night the bridegroom and bride were led into the metal chamber and Chand himself locked the door from outside. Night fell and the couple, thinking that they were safely ensconced in that impregnable room, observed their first rites of love. Soon after, Lakhinder fell asleep but Beulah lay awake for some time. She was nervous and alert despite the reported security of the room and her fears soon proved to be true. A snake came slithering into the room through the hole in the door. She offered it a dish of milk and it was so grateful for this favor that it left the room without harming her husband.
After this snake after snake slipped into the room through the small aperture the architect had left but Beulah offered each a dish of milk and each went away without harming Lakhinder. At last, however, Beulah could stay awake no more. She was too tired after the day's festivities. Soon after she fell asleep another snake slipped into the room and bit Lakhinder and went away. His cries of pain wakened the entire house but no-one could help. He died, as Manasa had threatened he would if Chand did not obey her command.
It was the custom in the Bengal of that time to set afloat on the river the bodies of persons who had died from snake-bites. Though the custom may seem strange there was logic in it. It was the general belief that a person who had died from snake-bite still had life within his or her body and it needed only an expert snake-charmer to bring such a person back to life.
Thus the dead body was not cremated. It was set afloat on the river in the hope that a snake-charmer may see it and help bring it back to life. So a raft was built and the grief-stricken father arranged for his son's last rites. When the body was ready to be placed on the raft and set afloat Beulah expressed the wish that she too would accompany her husband's dead body on its last voyage. She said that she had come to love him too much to be separated from him even by death. So she too was placed on the raft with Lakhinder's dead body and the raft was set afloat on the surging waters of the broad Ganges.
The raft, with Beulah and the dead body of Lakhinder, drifted down the river for many days and many miles till it reached the estuary where the river met with the sea. This place, The Sunderbans (Beautiful Forests), was a network of distributaries that spread like an intricate cobweb through dense mangrove forests. Very few people lived here as fresh water was scarce. Here, at a bathing place, Beulah saw a washerwoman washing clothes. Her little child was there on the bank and he was crying bitterly, probably demanding something or other. He kept crying till, at length, she became incensed with his tantrums gave him such a hard slap that he died on the spot. Beulah was amazed at this but said nothing. The raft had got struck in a maze of mangrove roots and Beulah could do nothing but sit and watch the woman perform her daily chore. When the woman had finished washing all the clothes she got onto the bank and spread them on the grass to dry. Then she went over to the dead body of her son and sprinkled some water on his face. Beulah was amazed to see that the boy got up and, smiling, took his mother's hand and they both started to walk away.
Beulah realized that the woman was no ordinary mortal and had magical powers and she saw an opportunity in this of reviving her dead husband and called after the washerwoman. She got out of the raft and went up to the woman and told her what had happened to her husband. She pleaded with her asking her to revive her husband as she had done her own child. Actually, the woman had been sent by Manasa to work her miracle with the child before Beulah so that she would be induced to seek her help. Manasa's plan worked and when Beulah asked the woman to help her she immediately led her to the goddess.
When Beulah reached Manasa's abode and asked for her blessing in bringing back her husband to life the goddess told her what she had done. She told Beulah that she was willing to bring Lakhinder back to life only on one condition. That was, that Beulah went back and converted Chand, her father-in-law, to her worship. Beulah readily agreed and, accordingly, Manasa revived Lakhinder. Beulah was overjoyed and, together, husband and wife asked for Manasa's blessings and set off for their home on the same raft that had been used for the terrible journey with Lakhinder's lifeless body.
When they reached home Beulah told her father-in-law about Manasa's condition and that the goddess had threatened to have Lakhinder bitten by a snake if Chand did not obey her. Faced by the pleading eyes of his beautiful daughter-in-law Chand's resolve broke at last. He agreed to offer worship to Manasa but he compromised and, during the rites of worship, used only his left hand to perform the ceremonies.
Nevertheless Manasa was pleased and she blessed Chand and his family with peace and prosperity. Her fame on earth was also established after this story spread and many devotees thronged to her altar. Manasa became a goddess to be feared and revered.
In most ancient Hindu religious texts Manasa is said to be the daughter of Kasyapa, a famous sage, and Kadru, the sister of the serpent-king Sesha. Unlike her uncle Manasa is still actively worshipped as a goddess who protects and saves humans from snake-bites. Her cult is most prevalent in Bengal where she is ceremoniously worshipped in temples. She is also attributed with the powers of curing infectious diseases like small-pox and of bringing wealth and prosperity. At the onset of the rainy season, when the snakes are most active, she is ritually invoked with sacrifices and offerings. She is probably a pre-Aryan goddess but this tale is of more recent vintage and comes from Bengal where she is most revered and tells how she gained recognition for herself as a potent member of the Hindu pantheon.
Not too long ago, in the fair and lovely land of Bengal, there lived a rich merchant named Chand. He was blessed with six sons but was, unfortunately a widower. Nevertheless he was always attentive to his sons' needs and they never felt the absence of a mother in their lives. They all lived in a beautiful mansion surrounded by colorful gardens nestling by the curvaceous banks of the Ganges. Chand was a devout worshipper of Shiva. He was so ardent in his devotions that he refused to acknowledge any other god or goddess. Manasa heard of this. At that time she had no devotees on earth and she became determined to force Chand to offer worship to her and become her first follower. Since Chand was well-known and widely respected she was sure that if she could get him to worship her other people would follow and she would soon have a large number of devotees. So Manasa approached Chand and ordered him to offer worship to her. Chand was not impressed with the goddess's demand. He ignored her and insulted her, calling her an ugly, black, one-eyed witch who ate frogs. He absolutely refused to give up worship of such a sweet lord as Shiva for a miserable creature like her.
Manasa was furious and, in retribution, dsestroyed Chand's beautiful gardens but Chand had been granted magical powers by Shiva and, with these, rebuilt his gardens instantly. So Manasa devised a new plan to ensnare Chand. She transformed herself into a beautiful maiden and appeared before Chand. Chand was a widower and was enchanted by the beauty of the maiden. He resolved to make her his bride and, without delay, approached her with his marriage proposal. The disguised Manasa was overjoyed with her success and very shrewdly told Chand that she would agree to become his wife if only he conceded his magical powers to her. Chand was so charmed by Manasa's outward appearance that he readily agreed and they were married with great pomp and glory. As soon as this was done, on their wedding night, when Chand approached his new bride, Manasa revealed her true self. She demanded, as before, that Chand forsake Shiva and take up worshipping her. Though greatly shocked Chand was adamant and absolutely refused to worship someone he thought of as the ugly snake woman. This angered Manasa even further and she destroyed Chand's gardens again. This time, as Chand had bequeathed his magical powers to Manasa, he could not rebuild them again. Yet he would not give in to the goddess's demand.
The infuriated goddess now resolved to torment Chand till he would agree to succumb to her wishes. First she had each of Chand's sons, one by one, to get bitten by poisonous snakes. They all died. When Chand still did not submit to her she had his cargo-laden ships capsized. He himself was cast away on a solitary island and he had to overcome a great number of hardships before he could get back home. Still he refused to become his devotee. He started his life all over again. Of all his near and dear ones there was no-one left. This caused him great sorrow but, with great perseverance and industry, Chand rebuild his fortunes and regained his former eminence in the community. He remarried and, soon, a son was born to him. With immense love and affection Chand named him Lakhinder.
The years passed gently and Lakhinder grew up to be a handsome young lad. Everyone loved him for his sweet nature. Chand began to look around for a suitable bride for him. Ultimately he chose Beulah, a lovely girl who he thought would make the perfect match for his son. The couple was betrothed and the wedding date was fixed. Manasa, who had not yet given up her resolve to subdue Chand, heard of this and approached him and again demanded that he give up worship of Shiva and become her follower. As usual Chand refused and Manasa grew furious at his insolence. She threatened him that if he did not do she wanted she would have his son Lakhinder bitten by a poisonous snake on his wedding night but Chand was not one to be easily intimidated. He began building a room made entirely of metal in which he resolved that Lakhinder would spend his wedding night with his bride Beulah.
No snake would ever be able to get into the thoroughly sealed metal cabin. Manasa heard of his plan and appeared before the architect who was to build the metal bridal chamber. She was terrible to look at and was known to be vengeful and bad-tempered. The architect was easily intimidated by her reputation and when she told him that she wanted him to leave a small hole in the door of the metal chamber he fearfully agreed. So Lakhinder's bridal chamber was built. From the outside it look invulnerable but the architect had, in mortal fear of Manasa, left a small hole at the bottom of the only door.
The wedding of Lakhinder and Beulah took place as scheduled with appropriate ceremony. Chand did not spare any effort or money to make the wedding of his only son and heir a memorable event in that part of the country. After the ceremonies and celebrations were over and it was night the bridegroom and bride were led into the metal chamber and Chand himself locked the door from outside. Night fell and the couple, thinking that they were safely ensconced in that impregnable room, observed their first rites of love. Soon after, Lakhinder fell asleep but Beulah lay awake for some time. She was nervous and alert despite the reported security of the room and her fears soon proved to be true. A snake came slithering into the room through the hole in the door. She offered it a dish of milk and it was so grateful for this favor that it left the room without harming her husband.
After this snake after snake slipped into the room through the small aperture the architect had left but Beulah offered each a dish of milk and each went away without harming Lakhinder. At last, however, Beulah could stay awake no more. She was too tired after the day's festivities. Soon after she fell asleep another snake slipped into the room and bit Lakhinder and went away. His cries of pain wakened the entire house but no-one could help. He died, as Manasa had threatened he would if Chand did not obey her command.
It was the custom in the Bengal of that time to set afloat on the river the bodies of persons who had died from snake-bites. Though the custom may seem strange there was logic in it. It was the general belief that a person who had died from snake-bite still had life within his or her body and it needed only an expert snake-charmer to bring such a person back to life.
Thus the dead body was not cremated. It was set afloat on the river in the hope that a snake-charmer may see it and help bring it back to life. So a raft was built and the grief-stricken father arranged for his son's last rites. When the body was ready to be placed on the raft and set afloat Beulah expressed the wish that she too would accompany her husband's dead body on its last voyage. She said that she had come to love him too much to be separated from him even by death. So she too was placed on the raft with Lakhinder's dead body and the raft was set afloat on the surging waters of the broad Ganges.
The raft, with Beulah and the dead body of Lakhinder, drifted down the river for many days and many miles till it reached the estuary where the river met with the sea. This place, The Sunderbans (Beautiful Forests), was a network of distributaries that spread like an intricate cobweb through dense mangrove forests. Very few people lived here as fresh water was scarce. Here, at a bathing place, Beulah saw a washerwoman washing clothes. Her little child was there on the bank and he was crying bitterly, probably demanding something or other. He kept crying till, at length, she became incensed with his tantrums gave him such a hard slap that he died on the spot. Beulah was amazed at this but said nothing. The raft had got struck in a maze of mangrove roots and Beulah could do nothing but sit and watch the woman perform her daily chore. When the woman had finished washing all the clothes she got onto the bank and spread them on the grass to dry. Then she went over to the dead body of her son and sprinkled some water on his face. Beulah was amazed to see that the boy got up and, smiling, took his mother's hand and they both started to walk away.
Beulah realized that the woman was no ordinary mortal and had magical powers and she saw an opportunity in this of reviving her dead husband and called after the washerwoman. She got out of the raft and went up to the woman and told her what had happened to her husband. She pleaded with her asking her to revive her husband as she had done her own child. Actually, the woman had been sent by Manasa to work her miracle with the child before Beulah so that she would be induced to seek her help. Manasa's plan worked and when Beulah asked the woman to help her she immediately led her to the goddess.
When Beulah reached Manasa's abode and asked for her blessing in bringing back her husband to life the goddess told her what she had done. She told Beulah that she was willing to bring Lakhinder back to life only on one condition. That was, that Beulah went back and converted Chand, her father-in-law, to her worship. Beulah readily agreed and, accordingly, Manasa revived Lakhinder. Beulah was overjoyed and, together, husband and wife asked for Manasa's blessings and set off for their home on the same raft that had been used for the terrible journey with Lakhinder's lifeless body.
When they reached home Beulah told her father-in-law about Manasa's condition and that the goddess had threatened to have Lakhinder bitten by a snake if Chand did not obey her. Faced by the pleading eyes of his beautiful daughter-in-law Chand's resolve broke at last. He agreed to offer worship to Manasa but he compromised and, during the rites of worship, used only his left hand to perform the ceremonies.
Nevertheless Manasa was pleased and she blessed Chand and his family with peace and prosperity. Her fame on earth was also established after this story spread and many devotees thronged to her altar. Manasa became a goddess to be feared and revered.
Friday, May 8, 2009
Bankura's horses
The logo of All India Handicrafts is the Bankura Horse. These horses display the skill and craftsmanship of Bengal. A pair of terracotta horses in a corner of a room adds class to any Bengali living room. These horses are not just decorative artifacts, but they also display the skill and craftsmanship of Bengal. Tracing back to the history of the terracotta sculptures, we land up in the land of red earth, the district of Bankura in West Bengal. The Malla rulers of Bengal played an active role in developing the intricate works of terracotta over the years.
In 1655 they built Jor Bangla and Shyam Rai in 1640, which reflect the Vaishnav culture. Terracotta figurines of animals and birds along with geometric panels and historical depiction of the love between Radha and Krishna were the subjects of these architectural splendours. After 300 yrs the structures are still as it were before because of the scientific methods used in building it.
Bengal clay pottery can be divided into two segments-Bankura Clay Pottery and Krishnanagar Clay Pottery. Bankura's art form is an ancient form than the art form of Krishnanagar. It was the Kumbhokars or potters of Panchmura, 16 miles away from Bishnupur, who started to make the famous Bankura horses. If looked closely it will be noticed that the Bankura horses have more erect neck and ears and look more dynamic. Their jaws are wider, their set of teeth can be seen, eyebrows are drawn and their forehead is decorated with Chandmala.
Making of the Horses:
The 4 hollow legs of the horse is first made followed by the torso and then the neck and the head. All these parts are separately made and then glued together. On drying they are coloured and burnt in the kiln. These horses are of different sizes ranging from 6 inches to 4 feet. Biboda, Kamardiha, Bishnupur, Jaikrishnapur, Nakaijuri, Keyaboti are some of the places were terracota horses are made regularly.
Horses used for Puja:
Horses made in Sendra are worshiped. These horses are not hollow but solid. Bankura's folk deity Dharmaraj is another form of Sun God and mythologically it is known that Sun God is the rider of horses. Thus horses form an important part of all rituals while performing puja. Besides terracota these artistic horses have been casted in dokra and wood because of the growing demand.
In 1655 they built Jor Bangla and Shyam Rai in 1640, which reflect the Vaishnav culture. Terracotta figurines of animals and birds along with geometric panels and historical depiction of the love between Radha and Krishna were the subjects of these architectural splendours. After 300 yrs the structures are still as it were before because of the scientific methods used in building it.
Bengal clay pottery can be divided into two segments-Bankura Clay Pottery and Krishnanagar Clay Pottery. Bankura's art form is an ancient form than the art form of Krishnanagar. It was the Kumbhokars or potters of Panchmura, 16 miles away from Bishnupur, who started to make the famous Bankura horses. If looked closely it will be noticed that the Bankura horses have more erect neck and ears and look more dynamic. Their jaws are wider, their set of teeth can be seen, eyebrows are drawn and their forehead is decorated with Chandmala.
Making of the Horses:
The 4 hollow legs of the horse is first made followed by the torso and then the neck and the head. All these parts are separately made and then glued together. On drying they are coloured and burnt in the kiln. These horses are of different sizes ranging from 6 inches to 4 feet. Biboda, Kamardiha, Bishnupur, Jaikrishnapur, Nakaijuri, Keyaboti are some of the places were terracota horses are made regularly.
Horses used for Puja:
Horses made in Sendra are worshiped. These horses are not hollow but solid. Bankura's folk deity Dharmaraj is another form of Sun God and mythologically it is known that Sun God is the rider of horses. Thus horses form an important part of all rituals while performing puja. Besides terracota these artistic horses have been casted in dokra and wood because of the growing demand.
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