Digital Rare Book:
The History of the Bengali Language
By Bijaychandra Mazumdar
Published by The University of Calcutta - 1920

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Image:
Goddess Durga slaying Mahishasura, Calcutta - 1860

Kalighat 'pata' of the Hindu goddess Durga, depicted here as the 'Mahishasuramardini'. The central figure of the 'pata' is the ten-armed form of the goddess Devi or Shakti, standing on her vehicle, the lion and is slaying the buffalo demon. The goddess is shown as holding a weapon in each of her hand. On the left hand side of the 'pata' are the elephant-headed god Ganesh seated on a lotus and Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth standing on a lotus. On the other side are Karttik (Karttikeya) seated on his vehicle, the peacock and Saraswati, the goddess of knowledge and music also standing on a lotus. Here Karttik (Karttikeya) has been depicted as a contemporary dandy wearing a coiled headgear and representing the idea of spirit and youth. Mahishasura has emerged from the buffalo and is being attacked by the lion. The semi-circular frieze or 'pata' or 'chalchitra', forming the background includes various mythological scenes. On the frieze Shiva has been positioned immediately above the goddess, being her husband. The semi-circular frieze supported by columns represent neo-classical architectural elements which were popular features of the period in Bengal.

This particular layout of the shrine, known as 'chalchitra' is very popular in Bengal. Larger versions of the shrine are common across Bengal and also used by Hindu Bengalis elsewhere to perform annual worship rites during the autumn. The paintings of the shrine similar to the subject are often for private worshipping or for decorative purposes.

Source: V&A, London