IN PRAISE OF GANESHA...

IN PRAISE OF GANESHA...

Utterly lovable, quaint and awesome, the Indian idol, Ganesha or Ganapati is a unique God. Believed to be Siddhwidata or the giver of success, he is the guardian and protector of the human endeavour. Ganesha is chiefly a remover of obstacles and consequently takes care of other aspects. On the great occasion of Ganesh Puja, I am sharing with pleasure, a few idols from my personal collections.

Utterly lovable, quaint and awesome, Ganesha or Ganapati is a unique God. worshipped all over India in September/October every year.  Believed to be Siddhwidata or the giver of success, he is the guardian and protector of the human endeavour. Ganesha is chiefly a remover of obstacles and consequently takes care of other aspects. On the great occasion of Ganesh Puja, I am sharing with pleasure, a few idols from my personal archives... Ganapati Bappa Mauriya !

Incidentally, the idols in this collection have been made by using various materials like stone, glass, wood, brass, bell-metal, Dokra, lac, clay, wrought iron, bronze, silver, paper mache and mixed materials. Some of these pieces are based on folk art, some traditional and a few depict modernity. Collected from different states of India and also Nepal, these figurines feature Lord Ganesha in different attire and are linked with various mythological Hindu stories.   

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riya !

MY KOLKATA - III

MY KOLKATA - III : (A pictorial overview)

Kolkata, formerly known as Calcutta, is the capital city of the state of West Bengal and is the cultural capital of India. It has been labelled as the "city of joy" by many. Situated by the eastern bank of the river Hooghly (Ganges), Calcutta was born more than 300 years ago, and was initially the business headquarters of the East India Company and subsequently, the capital of the British Empire until the rulers decided to shift the capital to Delhi. The city has been the hub of business activities, during which time large monuments, palaces and buildings were erected and people from the peripheries made Calcutta their home for livelihood.

Calcutta is famous for its Durga Puja, which is celebrated during September/October with much fanfare and extravaganza. The city is both orthodox and traditional in character, and is famous for its hand pulled rickshaws, trams, Mishti Doi (sweet yoghart/curd) and Sandesh (a type of sweet made of cottage cheese) and its hospitality, though like any other great city, Kolkata too is changing, It is being beautified gradually and the massive IT activities in the Salt Lake/Rajarhat area in the eastern  part of Kolkata is seen to be believed. Kolkata  is indeed a city of joy.

The pictures have been shot by me during different occasions in the last 5-6 months. The 100-year old picture of Calcutta has been discovered recently inside a cardboard shoe-box in UK and has been taken by me from Internet. (Also, Picture Nos. 7,8 & 9 of IT Hub, Rajarhat, No. 10 of Aquatica and No. 14 of Eden Gardens have been taken from the Internet and posted here on non-commercial basis. The copyright for all these pics remain with the respective authors).

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MY KOLKATA - II - (A pictorial overview).

The other day while passing through the Dharamtolla area in Kolkata, I saw Swadesh Babu hurrying towards Park Street with a shopping bag in his hand. After an exchange of pleasantries, he asked me, "Kothaaye chollen, Moshai, Camera haate niye? Kee achhe eto chhobi tolaar ei shohore" (Where are you going with your camera, man? Do you find this city enough interesting so as to record it?)? I simply smiled... Kolkata, to me, is not only unpredictable, but unfathomable too ! While recording the solitary boat ferrying at dusk in the evening at Prinsep Ghat, the reflections of the colourful lights under the bridge just mesmerized my heart and my mind exclaimed : Wah!

These 15 pictures were shot by me in Kolkata over a span of 6-8 months. Your comments are welcome.

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