Alpana

Although traditionally the domain of rural women, Alpana motifs have been very influential in modern Indian art, and are incorporated into the works of artists such as Jamini Roy, Abanindranath Tagore, Devi Prasad, and in the early illustrations of film-maker Satyajit Ray.

In contemporary Bengal, alpanas are created as part of religious festivals such as the Durga puja, in public and private spaces.

Alpanas were traditionally created by women in the Bengal region, and is a form of ritual art, similar in technique to rangoli, kolam, and chowk poorana in other parts of South Asia, but with distinct motifs and patterns.

[3] For instance, in parts of West Bengal, alpanas are created to mark the end of a period of fasting, and are accompanied by a special worship ceremony.

[1] When performed in honor of the goddess Lakshmi, the alpana will contain symbols and motifs that relate to her, such as her carrier, an owl, as well as a granary, a conch shell and lotus flowers.

[15] The creation of alpanas has been taught as an art form at Kala Bhavana, the fine arts department of Visva Bharati University, by notable artists including Sukumari Devi, Kiranbala Devi and Jamuna Sen.[4] In 2016, it was made a part of the foundation course for undergraduates at Kala Bhavan, and students are now trained in some of the most common traditional motifs and designs.

[16][4] Abanindranath Tagore, the painter and writer, wrote a study of alpanas in his book, Banglar Broto, and compared their motifs to hieroglyphs.

[19] The painter, potter, and photographer Devi Prasad also incorporated alpana motifs into his work, as decorative elements in his pottery.