The concept of Durga Puja dates back to the 16th century, rooting itself with ancient Bengali standards which were highly initiated by the aristocratic zamindars, particularly the Roy Choudhury’s of Barisha. They are credited with organising the earliest style of Durga Puja. These celebrations which were titled as “bonedi barir pujo” were generally private affairs initially held in one’s ancestral homes which adhered to strict rituals of tradition.
These idols were generally crafted in clay and depicted Goddess in a conventional style accompanied by her children. The goddess during this time was worshipped as an epitome of power and also as the Bharat Mata during Pre-Independence times.
This public sphere with time focused on embracing creativity, transforming into a form of artistic experimentation with the help of contemporary artists like Sanatan Dinda, Bhabotosh Sutar and many others.
Structurally the rituals followed were Vedic traditions with priests working on complex ceremonies accompanied by women of the household. The main focus was on the devotion and continuity of the cultural heritage.
With time around the early 20th century, the festival started moving from private circles to public spheres, evolving into a “Sarbojanin” or community puja. This celebration became too popular with the para clubs and pujas like Bagbazar Sarbojanin and Simla Byayam Samity came into existence.
This public sphere with time focused on embracing creativity, transforming into a form of artistic experimentation with the help of contemporary artists like Sanatan Dinda, Bhabotosh Sutar and many others. They transformed the traditional form of durga puja to a festival of installation art where the idols and pandals transcend the religious symbolism into becoming powerful expressions of creative gestures.
Their works represent a significant departure from the traditional approach that utilises simple materials in order to craft meaningful and evocative installations that challenge the conventional artistic practices within the framework of the puja.
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Sanatan Dinda through his intricate understanding of human emotions and social issues has consistently used everyday elements like jute, rope and clay to craft a goddess that appeared to rise from the earth. This symbolised both creation and destruction while focusing on minimalistic materials enabling him to maintain the narrative of the installation that portrayed the universal cycle of life and death. This theme had been predominant in his pandal installations in 2016.
Bhabotosh Sutar on the other hand, created a commentary on the socio-political aspects through his artistic expressions. The work of Barisha club in 2017 contained bamboo and straw as common materials from rural Bengal to create a structure that resembled a refugee camp.
This installation acted as a plight to the displaced people across the world, with the goddess portrayed as a mother figure offering solace in a time of crisis. His works further divulged into ornate decorations of traditional pujas that used simplicity to highlight pressing the major global concerns that connect the goddess with the themes of refuge and revival.
The main area of distinction between the traditional form of art from these contemporary themes is the emphasis on everyday overlooked materials in terms focusing on thought and discussion. In the past, the Durga Puja was performed to preserve the ritualistic purity with that of pandals and idols that were crafted through strict religious guidelines.
The works by the contemporary artists have led to the development of serious challenges based on social, political and environmental issues leading the puja to be a part of the public spectacle. These installations have transformed the religious festival to an open-air gallery where art, social issues and culture collide. This has further gone through a global transformation through UNESCO’s recognition of this festival as “AN INTANGIBLE CULTURAL HERITAGE OF HUMANITY” and further making a public spectacle.
