In pictures: Age no bar for this deft Bengal ‘patachitra’ artist Reba Pal
In pictures: Age no bar for this deft Bengal ‘patachitra’ artist Reba Pal
The winner of several awards, the septuagenarian from Nadia’s Krishnanagar uses all natural colours in her art
My Kolkata Web DeskKrishnanagar
Published 26.07.24, 01:39 PM
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Seventy-seven-year-old Reba Pal is a ‘chalchitra’ artist. ‘Chalchitra’ is a part of Bengal ‘patachitra’
Photographs by Ramit Sarkar
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‘Chalchitra’ refers to the Debi ‘chal’ or Durga ‘chala’, the background of the Durga ‘pratima’ (idol). The main content of the ‘chalchitra’ are stories from the Puranas. It talks about Shiv-Parvati, Kali, Mahishasurmardini and Dashabatar among others
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The septuagenarian artist is exceptionally skilled despite her advanced age and lives in Krishnanagar in Nadia district
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The painting of the ‘chalchitra’ entails hours of strenuous work and involves good eyesight. She uses all natural colours to paint
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Originally, ‘chalchitra’ was used to lend a proper proportion to the structure of the idol. This tradition is very ancient but is still in practice
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Over the decades, Reba Pal has won several awards and accolades, including the Asian Paints Sharad Samman
