Durga Puja is m u ch m o re than the ritualistic worship of the ten-armed goddess who slayed the mighty Mahishasura. It can be called the most remarkable exhibition of public art in the world in terms of public participation, grandeur, scale and colourfulness. Even the Unesco inscription makes note of it. It calls the Durga Puja “a thriving ground for collaborative artists and designers”.
Once, the biggest names in the Indian art circuit — such as Nirode Mazumdar and Paritosh Sen — had designed or sculpted the Durga idols. These days, however, renowned artists like Partha Dasgupta, Susanta Paul and Bhabatosh Sutar do not limit themselves to the idol, they are involved in every aspect of the pandal from start to finish — the theme, sculptures, colours, light, sound and space design. And art college students sometimes work alongside these senior artists to gain experience in these different areas.
Partha Dasgupta, a master ceramic artist, sculptor and famed Durga Puja artist, has six interns working with him. Their theme is Gurusaday Museum and the folk art it represents. The young artists work with craftsmen to create wooden dolls from Burdwan, Chitpur woodcuts, Gambhira masks of North Bengal and a metal 10-feet peacock made to look like dokra work.
“Previously, students would work on Puja pandals to earn money but it was not considered work experience,” says Dasgupta. He decided to change that. In 2018, Dasgupta officially began hiring as interns students of government art colleges. These students would document their work through photographs, notes and videos and receive a certificate at the end of the internship. “This experience should be documented and added to a student’s portfolio,” he says.
David Malakar, a student of fine arts from Benaras Hindu University in Varanasi, UP, works on Puja pandals with Dasgupta and is already making a name for himself. Souvik Das, who studied ceramics at Government College of Art and Craft in Calcutta, says, “In college there is a limitation — you work on 2 feet by 2 feet ceramics. Whereas here we work on structures that are 40 feet high and 30 feet wide. This challenges us to think in a different way. We also have to keep the public in mind as the art we create has to communicate with people who visit the pandals. That’s a very important learning for me.”
Briti Sengupta, a bachelor’s student of public space design at the Srishti Manipal Institute of Art, Design and Technology in Bangalore, also interns with Dasgupta. “Public space design is a new concept in India, but I am seeing how that is done here. I am involved in various aspects of the artwork and learning a lot through this experience,” she says.
Parag Roy, professor of graphics at Rabindra Bharati University, feels that students learn a lot from working with senior artists during the Pujas. They work on different spaces — some are large while others may be a narrow lane or small alley. “The artists create the installation utilising the houses, windows and doors in that lane. This provides different kinds of challenges,” he explains. He notes that though they may not all go on to be Puja artists, students can definitely use this experience later. “They learn the use of light and how to play with different type of surfaces and textures. Additionally, they learn how to execute a concept in a three-dimensional artwork, and that’s a tremendous experience,” Roy adds.
Susanta Paul, costume designer, sculptor and installation artist, says that while Durga Puja is now a great platform for freshers, it was not the same when he was in college in 1995-96. “But I somehow managed to get an internship at a South Calcutta pandal through a senior from my art college. And then I got more opportunities to work in the next few years — and my journey started.” He believes, “Students will gather much experience by working with senior artists on this platform. So art colleges should consider integrating Durga Puja-related work into their curriculum and assessments.” Paul, who has also worked as a costume designer in Rituparno Ghosh’s films and as a textile designer, says, “I enjoy doing Durga Puja art most as so many people come to see my art in a public space.”
Employers, too, feel that students gain valuable experience by involving themselves in something that is this creatively challenging. “Durga Puja pandals involve a complex creative process, from conceptualisation to execution. Every year, new ground is broken when translating ideas into reality.” says advertising professional Tithi Ghosh, head of Ogilvy South.
She adds, “As employers look to determine if the applicant has pushed himself or herself to be curious, explore and experiment, an internship where the student works on design, fabrication and sourcing under a senior artist or set designer will definitely stand out in the employer’s eyes.” Also in the eyes of the people.
