|
There is a complete plethora of traditional arts & crafts of Kolkata. The reservoir of Calcutta arts & crafts is very large and encompasses exquisite floor and wall paintings and items made from bamboo, cane, shola, conch-shell, ivory and bell metal etc. Read on to know more about arts and crafts of Calcutta India… 
Folk art represents such items that are made by the people of different communities in order to satisfy their own social, cultural, religious and aesthetic needs. To say for example, floor paintings popularly known as alpana, are made as a part of socio-cultural practices. On the other hand, there are chal chitra paintings that are made on canvas for religious purposes but they also serve as means of livelihood.
Arts and crafts of Calcutta can be broadly classified into the following categories:
-
Painting: floor painting, painted pots, wall painting, tattooing and other body painting, fancy dolls
-
Embroidery: nakshi pakha, nakshi kantha & handkerchiefs
-
Weaving: nakshi shika, baskets, fancy mats, fancy fans & flower vases
-
Engraving: metal works, wooden products & terracotta slabs
-
Inlaying: ornaments inlaid with pearls, gems, diamond and other precious stones
Calcutta is a land of talented people. People have a passion for art forms and this is reflected in the beautiful paintings of Kolkata India. There are many kinds of Calcutta paintings, namely Alpana paintings, Dewalchitra wall paintings, Gazir pat scroll paintings, Ghatachitra Paintings & Karandichitra panel paintings.
-
Alpana paintings 
Alpana wall paintings of Calcutta India are very popular and are associated with the observance of religious vratas. These paintings are usually drawn at the time of Hindu weddings and annaprashana. Lotus and creepers are the most commonly drawn motifs on the occasion of Hindu weddings. Alpana uses the white paste made from pounded rice as the main raw material. For the purpose of vratas, alpana paintings are drawn using finger or a piece of wood.
- Dewalchitra wall painting
It involves painting the images of deities on the walls of mud houses with the belief that these images would protect people from evils. Motifs include the goddess Laksmi seated on a lotus, swastika, heroes of the puranas, sheaves of paddy, peacocks and elephants.
- Gazir pat scroll paintings
These paintings depict the life of Gazi Pir, king of tigers. It portrays miraculous incidents associated with Gazi Pir.
|
|
