ART AND CRAFTS
Soil, sponge-wood (shola),cotton,jute , silk , handmade paper, bell metal and cane is indigenous to Bengal.So are their usages in Bengali livelihood,like Terracotta, pottery, ,shola-work,patachitra painting, bell metalwork, cane work,handwoven textiles( Sari), embroidery on light quilts, to name but a few.
However, most worthy of mention is the fact that each of these handicraft has been given the status of exquisite folk art by generations of specialist artisans, Today the finesse of Krishnanagar clay dolls, distinct form of terracotta horse of Bankura, Dokra artifacts of tribal craftsmen and patachitra of Kalighat in Kolkata have garnered recognition from across the world.
However, most worthy of mention is the fact that each of these handicraft has been given the status of exquisite folk art by generations of specialist artisans, Today the finesse of Krishnanagar clay dolls, distinct form of terracotta horse of Bankura, Dokra artifacts of tribal craftsmen and patachitra of Kalighat in Kolkata have garnered recognition from across the world.
In modern times, Abanindranath Tagore, Rabndranath Tagore, Nandalal Base and many others established the Bengal School of Painting and other fine arts during the 19th and 20th centures.In recent times, Kolkata emerged as a prominent trading center.
CULTURAL AND FESTIVAL
Bengal is said to be a land of 13 festivals in 12 months and the biggest among these carnivals is Durga Puja. Scriptures say that this celebration marks the Goddess Durga’s homecoming on the Earth.
The 4 days of Puja are celebrated in a manner that has few parallels in the world!Spectacular Pandals, illuminated streets and millions of people treading miles for Pandal hopping, are all typical of this festival that ends with immersion of the Earthen Durga Idol.It is one of the largest carnivals of the earth attracting millions of people to Kolkata and Bengal.
The 4 days of Puja are celebrated in a manner that has few parallels in the world!Spectacular Pandals, illuminated streets and millions of people treading miles for Pandal hopping, are all typical of this festival that ends with immersion of the Earthen Durga Idol.It is one of the largest carnivals of the earth attracting millions of people to Kolkata and Bengal.
Besides Durga Puja, Bengalis celebrate Do ( festival of colurs), Rash (mainly at Mayapur), Dipabalii ( festival of light), Nababarsha ( Bengali new year) and Christmas with high enthusiasm.
The colourful cultural gamut of Bengal, includes various folk dance forms. Chhau is a masked folk dance from Purulia district that has achieved significant international acclaim, however others dance forms like Natua, Raibenshey and Tusu are also noteworthy.
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