Kolkata in art

I came across these beautiful painted pictures of my city of love on Facebook and couldn't resist sharing them with you after the artist happily permitted. They are done by painter Dibyendu Ukil, based in Chinsurah ,who has studied the art in Government College of Art & Craft, Kolkata (popularly known as Art College).

All the pictures are of north Kolkata and the detailing deftly brings out the quintessential life in that part of the city and its fascinating British era architecture, which is one of the reasons why I am charmed by Kolkata forever.

About the pictures, their finesse reminds me of master artist Subrata Gangopadhyay whose impeccable, lifelike painting works I've grown up with seeing in Anandamela (children's magazine).

The old world charm exuded by the pictures is very much a reality. It is a delight to many travellers across the globe.

#Painting #Kolkata #Architecture #Heritage #KolkataArchitecture #KolkataHeritage #LifeInKolkata

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Waste Band and the pied piper of Tangra

What is this bunch of youngsters on stage up to with these bizarre things? Thermocol block, empty paint tins and plastic paint drums, cut iron pipes placed in order, half-filled empty PET bottles and stuff! What kind of musical sound will come out of them? One can’t help but wonder when one sees them setting up.

The sound check follows and the thought is hit out of the park. It’s rock sound, man! Welcome to Waste Band.

I came across this band that doesn’t play musical instruments in an annual programme of a new NGO where they performed last, as the main attraction. It plays instruments made out of waste products (as mentioned above) and create musical sound out of them. What I experienced in their session in a cultural show was an absolutely unique innovation in music and a new sound. The band leader plays a guitar (if you call it that) made of a wooden plank and an empty tin!

Their version of digital percussion commonly known as 'Octapad'

Band leader Sanjay Mandal plays his innovative guitar

As for vocals, that’s interesting too. The youngest boy who also plays the iron pipes with a spanner sang some rhymes in rap. They also mix a conventional instrument or two when needed. Like this girl, Payel, played flute accompanied by a few of her bandmates on their respective instruments in one of the compositions. I only wished they got a full session to play as they had to cut it short due to lack of time left to close the function.

The story behind it, as shared by band leader Sanjay Mandal whose brainchild it is, is an amazing and inspiring social initiative. I am proud to know this has happened in Kolkata.

Tangra, by Sanjay’s own admission, is an area is Kolkata which is educationally, culturally and financially backward. Boys drop out of school early and do small jobs to support the family. Sanjay, who seems to be in his forties, is one among them. Despite the compulsion and hardship destiny posed, he wanted to do something different in life with the local youngsters of school-going age engaged in earning. So, he started an after-work recreation session of music with instruments built out of things thrown away (They couldn't afford proper instruments and training). Soon the boys got hooked to it and a band was formed. They got noticed by renowned band Bhoomi in one of their early shows in 2006 and performed in their television show Barandaay Roddur.  

The vocalist is playing his instrument made of iron pipes with a spanner

Their journey has taken them to the popular national television show ‘India’s Got Talent’ and NDTV where they performed live. Today, they do shows in various parts of India and abroad.

A bagful coins is an instrument for them

We wisecrack, “When life gives you lemons, make lemonade”. Sanjay and his gang live up to it, day in and day out.  

The earning from the shows is saved for greater good. Sanjay’s aim is to build a school for the local children. A small piece of land has already been purchased. Sanjay is also getting some of the band members, which now has a few young girls too, trained in formal music.

The Waste Band

Hope Sanjay Mandal, the pied piper of Tangra, goes from strength to strength with his band of boys and girls embracing music with passion.

If anybody is interested to call the band for a show, Sanjay can be reached at 9330832732.

#WasteBand #KolkataMusic #IndiasGotTalent

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Pujo Diaries 2017

Here's a trail of Pujo (as Durga Puja or Puja is commonly known) which was celebrated in September 2017 in Kolkata.

This pandal (marquee) in Telengabagan which is a popular puja of north Kolkata. Theme puja (Pandal and idols of goddess Durga and her four children are designed following a theme) rules these days pushing the traditional puja to sidelines. The theme of this puja was child labour.

The interior of the Telengabagan puja (below).

The themed idol of goddess and her children in the Telengabagan puja. This reflects the current trend of idols of goddess Durga and her children.

A unique Durga idol with nine hands on one side, in Shnurir Bagan puja, north Kolkata.

Kobirajbagan Sarbojonin puja with the ship-themed pandal.

A classical Durga idol. A rarity in big pujas now.

A peek into the suburbs now. The book-fair-themed pandal of Shitala Mandir Samaj, Barrackpore, in north suburbs of Kolkata.

A tribal village has been recreated in a Barrackpore puja.

A jamindar's mansion has been recreated as the pandal in a popular puja in Barrackpore.

Live human models in the above-mentioned pujo.They stayed still for hours on end.

A swan-themed pandal in a puja in Ichhapur (north suburbs).

The idol of the above-mentioned puja. There's a certain playfulness in the design.

The classical war goddess avatar of Durga which is a personal favourite. It's a rare kind of idol these days. This one is at College Sqaure puja which has been blissfully defying the trend.....thankfully.

The houses in the locality are sometimes included in the pandal design  of a theme puja. This one is at the Nalin Sarkar Street puja (north Kolkata)

An art installation on the theme of an asylum in the Nalin Sarkar Street puja.

Kumari Puja on Ashtami day is another ritual which is followed in the Ramakrishna Mission centres. A young girl is selected for worship. This one is at Ramakrishna Vivekananda Mission of Barrackpore (which, though shares the same ideology, is a breakaway of the famous institution).

The roads get dressed up, too. This is Hatibagan Sarbojonin puja (north Kolkata).

I like the creativity of Hatibagan Sarbojonin and this year was no exception. The theme was 'Birds'. The design with cages and small wooden birds all around with their chirp as background music created a world of its own.

Chandelier is a tradition of puja pandals. Various pujas flaunt big, majestic chandeliers.

The Kashi Bose Lane puja (north Kolkata) was on the theme of evolution of music. The transistor radio and tape deck took back to the old times.

A small instance of the puja craze would be this. A small part of the queue for the Santosh Mitra Square puja (central Kolkata) past midnight.

Sindur Khela- the send-off ritual of the goddess on the last day- Dashami.

After the round of smearing the goddess with sindur (vermilion) is done with, it's time to do the same to each other among women (originally meant for married women).

The vermilion brings out a rare kind of feminine beauty .

'Sindur Khela' is equally popular among young and unmarried women now for its fashion quotient. Media photographers get them to pose for their 'Dashami' work.

Finally, Bhasan/ Bishorjon or biding the goddess adieu. Its immersion of the idol in the river.

Though a painful moment, bishorjon is obesrved with much fanfare. And free-flowing 'bhasan dance' to the beats of dhaak is a popular subculture.

I was lucky to witness this classical form of bishorjon. The idol is balanced on the edge of two boats and several rounds are done before the boats move away from one another.

#Puja #Pujo #DirgaPuja #DurgaPuja2017 #DurgaPujaKolkata #DurgaPujaKolkata2017

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Pujo 2016

Here are some moments from Pujo (as Puja is called by Bengalis) which is going on from
7th (Shasthi) to 11th October 2016 (Dashami).

A pandal (marquee) made of grass in Talbagan, Barrackpore in north suburbs of Kolkata

 A pandal designed like an old, decaying mansion in Nonachandanpukur, Barrackpore

The pandal in Nonachandanpukur, Barrackpore

Human models in the pandal in Nonachandanpukur, Barrackpore

Puja is now being referred to globally as 'World's largest art gallery' thanks to the incredible popularity of theme in creating the pandal (marquee) and the idol of goddess Durga among thousands of pujas organised in Kolkata. Let me also say for the records that Puja, without doubt, is one of world's largest and greatest festivals which draws several lakhs of crowd in the city in just the five days.The themed pandals that mesmerize the visitors are actually huge art installations created by qualified and self-taught artists over a long time. The districts have followed in the footsteps competently and have been drawing crowds as well. The picture of the pandal below from the adjoining district of North 24 Parganas is representative of the fact. Many pandals in suburbs and districts can give those in the city a run for their money.

   

The pandal in the puja of Anandamath, Ichhapur in northern suburbs of Kolkata. 

Loved the classical form of idols of goddess Durga and her two sons and daughters in this puja in Ichhapur. Since as per Hindu mythology Durga killed the monster Mahishasura in a fight, her face is supposed to look feisty and angry. This is aptly expressed in the right degree in this idol.

 No Pujo is complete without khichhudi bhog

#Puja2016 #Bhog #WorldsLargestArtGallery

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