Durga in Calcutta is an expression of Bengali creativity
Durga, the mother Goddess is known in India since not later than 5th century.The Khajuraho Durga sculpture (900–1100 CE) or Javanese Mahisasuramardini in Chandi Prambaran ( 9th century CE) are important evidence of historical existence of Durga in Indian peninsula. The history of Durgapuja in Bengal is, in fact, very new in comparison to that. The terracotta Durga in the Bishnupur Shyamarai temple was created only in 1643. The evidence of Durgapuja being held as grand festival is also found only from 16th century. But the most amazing phenomenon in Bengal is, Durgapuja has been grown as a guiding factor for all kinds of artistic activities here in last centuries. In fact, the relationship between Durgapuja and all artistic expressions in Bengal have been developed to the level of eternal bondage in such a fascinating way that it is difficult to determine in this 21th/6th-17th century CE. The Khajuraho Durga sculpture (900–1100 CE) or Javanese Mahisasuramardini in Chandi Prambaran ( 9th century, whether it is Durgapuja, that facilitates the development of Bengali art and culture or the other way round.
The much popular 2021 Kolkata pandal which was closed for attracting too much crowd.
Bengali potters and Shola-artists created special designs while making even small pots and vessels for her as well as to decorate her. The Ekchala (structure on single pedestal) style for the whole Durga family before independence period or the separated pedestal with intricate background in later period of times can be designated as Bengal’s own invention of makeshift architecture. Same regarding the Patachitra’s used in Chalchitra. As the dress of the idol, satin came into use in late 50s replacing mud-cloths and in 60s; evolution was introduced even in that. At some point of time, the Goddess started appearing dressed in some designer sarees similar to those carried by some popular heroins in some contemporary movies.
We are not able to determine the exact period when Agamani songs inviting the Goddess for homecoming started being composed. But poets like Ramprasad Sen, Kamalaksha Bhattacharya or Dasharathi Ray established this as special genre of Bengal folk song during late 18th century to 19th century — again in British Bengal. In post-independence era, “Pujo songs” sung by all famous and newcomer singers acquired a very special place in the world of “Modern Bengali songs”. Durga was no longer the subject of these songs, but she started functioning as the driving force of Bengali music industry by then. “Pujo songs” lost its glory even before the birth of Bengali pop and rock music; the legacy is being preserved by Bengali pop being a likely source of entertainment in Puja pandals.
The tradition of Dhunuchi dance practiced on the last night of Puja or the dance practiced during bidding farewell to the Goddess are presumably no more than 100 years old; but essential performances, absence of which makes the present day Durgapuja loss much of its charm.
Tradition of performing Jatra during Durgapuja nights helped the own theatrical art of Bengal to survive through many decades. The political turmoil in 1970s and the fast socio-economic changes in last few decades almost buried the traditional association of folk theatre and Durgapuja; anyway Bengali cinema continued presenting Durga taking the most important position in the story line. 1954 movie “Dhuli” used Durgapuja as background to outline a protest against social politics with prevalent caste system. Similarly in the 1981 movie “Anusandhan”, Durga idol becomes the witness of a fight between honesty and corruption. Durga does not appear as idol in Pather Panchali (1955) by Satyajit Ray, but the festive season, which exposes the homecoming Harihar to the news of his daughter’s death, defines the time for the family of Harihar and Sarbajaya to migrate from the ancestral village home to the unknown. It is really difficult to establish which one of the human characters or the Durga exists at the focal point of the stories of Devi and Jaybaba Felunath. Same turns out with Aparna Sen’s ‘Parama’ or Rituparna Ghosh’s Anarmahal and Utsav. Was there a movie called “Devipaksha” (2004 by Raja Sen) possible without the existence of the almighty Goddess Durga?
Durga in Bengal does not symbolize any religion, but represents the existence of Bengal. She is the divine force directing the course of human life irrespective of their cast, creed, religion, society or community. That is the reason why the monetary transaction in the single event called Durgapuja in West Bengal is expected to cross Rs. 40 Million in 2013, in which both the Brahmin priest from Bardwan and the Muslim light-designer from Chandannagar will play their inevitable roles as ever.
Originally published at https://bangiyokatha.blogspot.com.
