Untitled (Durga Pujo)

Drawn in the traditional style of a patachitra—a unique traditional genre of paintings that was developed in Bengal, in the nineteenth century, although its origins go back much further in time—this painting imagines the warrior goddess in endearingly domestic terms. The artist or artists of this pat placed the Goddess and her family under an arched doorway of a cottage, in the manner of the ritual Sara paintings (featuring circular clay discs). A new dimension is added to the earthy colours that dominate the painting by the fine brushwork in white. The ornamental decorations around the archway allude to the white Kash flowers which heralds the arrival of the festive season in Autumn every year. Interestingly, to maintain visual parity, the artist has hidden the asura’s hair behind Saraswati.