{"product_id":"maa-durgas-family-in-kalighat-by-uttam-chitrakar","title":"Maa Durga's Family in Kalighat by Uttam Chitrakar","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThis Kalighat painting by Uttam Chitrakar is an intricate Durga Puja family portrait, traditionally known as Chala Chitra or Sabarno Ekchala iconography, rendered without the signature vibrant pigments of the 19th-century Bengali folk art tradition. By stripping away color, the artist relies entirely on the school's hallmark economy of line, utilizing fluid, ink-based contours and grey shading to define a dense, monumental gathering of the complete divine family of Bengal.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIn Bengali Hindu tradition and Agamani folklore, the annual autumn festival of Durga Puja celebrates the goddess Durga returning to her maternal home from Mount Kailash, accompanied by her consort and four children. The composition organizes this divine assembly into a beautifully balanced artwork.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eReclining at the upper left is Lord Shiva, depicted with matted hair (jata), a crescent moon, and his signature Trishula (trident) resting in his arm. He wears a textured tiger-skin loincloth, his serene face bearing a third eye (trinetra). Seated to the upper right is Maa Durga in a calm, meditative posture, her crown (mukut) radiating a broad, sunburst-like cosmic halo. Her right hand is raised in the Abhaya Mudra (gesture of fearlessness). Placed precisely between the divine couple is her vahana (vehicle), a fierce, stylized lion with sharp ears and a wild mane.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIn the central portion stands Mata Saraswati, the Goddess of knowledge and the arts. She is shown in a graceful stance, cradling her signature stringed Veena diagonally across her torso and sitting on her vahana, the swan. To her left stands her sister, Mata Lakshmi, the Goddess of wealth, abundance and prosperity. She is shown holding a sacred Kalasha (pot of abundance) delicately in her hand, symbolizing spiritual and material well-being, with her vahana, the owl, beside her.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIn the lower half of the composition is the elephant-headed Lord Ganesha, the remover of obstacles. He is depicted kneeling, his trunk curling inward, while a pot of ladoos (his favourite sweet) is placed in front of him. Standing beside him is his vahana, Mushaka, looking up in devotion. Next to him sits Lord Kartikeya, the commander of the divine army, wearing an aristocratic cap reminiscent of princely attire. He cradles his grand vahana, a magnificent peacock with a long, sweeping tail that curls behind him.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe environment bridges the celestial with the regional landscape of rural Bengal. The entire assembly is nestled within a dense forest grove. Above the deities, fine line-work creates a canopy of interconnected tree branches heavily filled with stylized leaf patterns. The ground below is rendered as a meadow of mounds, heavily textured with fine, repetitive crescent strokes that mimic grass or wild shrubs. In the lower right corner, is a pond filled with stylized lotus leaves (padma patra) and buds pushing upward through wavy water lines, indicative of the autumn season of Akaal Bodhan (Durga Puja).\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe painting features the foundational strength of the Kalighat school. Without the aid of contrasting pigments, the artist relies entirely on varied line weights to create depth. Thick, sweeping outer lines trace the physical volume of the figures and the dramatic fan of Ganesha's ears, while ultra-fine cross-hatching and dot matrices are used to texture the blouses, dhotis, and jewelry of the deities. The extensive use of dark indigo washes along the inner contours creates a glowing, volumetric effect against the handmade paper. This innovative treatment strips away the festive distraction of color, forcing the focus entirely on the pure form, complex iconographic structure and deep spiritual reverence embedded within Bengal’s sacred folk heritage.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Uttam Chitrakar","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":45073938088150,"sku":null,"price":30000.0,"currency_code":"INR","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1194\/1498\/files\/Deities-in-Kalighat-by-Uttam-Chitrakar-1.jpg?v=1725607212","url":"https:\/\/www.memeraki.com\/products\/maa-durgas-family-in-kalighat-by-uttam-chitrakar","provider":"Memeraki Retail and Tech Pvt Ltd.","version":"1.0","type":"link"}