White Top and Skirt with Polka Dots

This painting, by Bahadur Chitrakar, is a scene from the Manasa Mangal, also known as Padmapuran, a folk lore based on Hindu mythology. The deity of snakes, Devi Manasa is one of the protagonists of the story who compels Chand Saudagar, a rich businessman, to worship her by hook or crook. Chand was a worshipper of Shiva and he would never want to pay homage to Manasa. To fulfil her desire, Manasa sends her snakes to bite Chand’s son Lakhindar to death. Behula, the wife of Lakhindar, takes all the pain to make piece between Manasa and Chand, and subsequently gets back her husband to life. 

Art speaks for time. The Pata Maya or Patachitra of Bengal, since time immemorial, has been the testimony of time. Our country served as a colony under the British rule for two hundred years and this painting depicts the socio-economic contrast between the British ruler and his indigenous servant of the then India.