Mukha-Dinajpur

A rich man and his wife, enjoying leisure time over tobacco, is a common scene from the daily life of the then Bengal. The couple portrayed here represent a wealthy class. The abundance of jewelleries speaks for the affluence of the couple. The old days of Bengal’s socio-economic structure is well depicted in the painting. The art is generally coupled with a song that tells the story of the characters in the painting. Simple strokes to draw the figures and their attire and accessories have created magic here. It’s an art by Rajesh Chitrakar. 

The location of these Patachitra Shilpi or artists falls in a place, popularly known as Jangal Mahal in West Bengal. The area is home to a number of indigenous tribes like Santhals, Vills, Mundas. The paintings, for obvious reasons, depict the tribal culture. One such example by Nazra Chitrakar, who learnt the art from her older generations and is now passing it on to her successors. The painting shows how the tribal youth goes hunting and fishing. Their hunts are always accompanied by Madal (a kind of drum) the beats of which brings the animals and the birds out of their hide outs.