In Conversation with Ms Ratnaboli Ghosh & Ms Soma Roy
Ratnaboli Ghosh studied in Loreto House, Loreto College and then Calcutta University for her Post graduation and has been a teacher all her life.
Her mother, Prativa Sen Gupta who was a student of Kala Bhaban, Shantiniketan, had been taught by Nandalal Bose, Ram Kinkar Baij, among others and later she became an Art teacher at Lady Irwin School, Delhi, Dowhill Girlsâ School, Kurseong and Loreto House, Calcutta. Needless to say, her mother was a major influence on Ratnaboliâs Art training.
Since the time she was 8 years old, she has been painting âBiyer Alponaâ; âBiyer Piriâ; Decorating Brides with chandan, designing and creating âTattwa shuchiâ and designing wedding cards. All these are part of the âShubho Bibahoâ repertoire.
Additionally, she has regularly drawn Alponas for festive occasions such as Lakshmi Pujo, Kaali Pujo, Durga Pujo, Diwali, Holi, Bhaiphota, Nabo Barsho,and other festivals
Her new experiences include — Alpona at Raj Bhaban, Netaji Bhaban, Vivekananda Bhaban, Hotels, Churches and Temples, etc.
She has thoroughly enjoyed Workshops with children in different schools.
Soma Roy has done her school education from La Martiniere, Kolkata and then went to Government College of Art and Craft, Kolkata
She has subsequently been an Art teacher in various schools in Kolkata and Dubai since 1982, till date.
â˘â â She has trained students for various Art competitions at the Inter-School level
â˘â â Conducted wall painting sessions for children with special needs
â˘â â Produced a play with students of the Primary section
â˘â â Designed props and costumes for school functions and exhibitions
â˘â â Conducted needlework and rangoli workshops for teachers
â˘â â She has also designed advertisements in the Art studio of Ogilvy Benson and Mather, Kolkata
â˘â â She also volunteers for NIAW, Saroj Nalini Dutta Memorial and some others
She too is an alpona expert .. and very often gets invited or commissioned to beautify entrances, staircases, corridors âŚ
A Bengali wedding, known for its grandeur and deep cultural roots, is a splendid celebration of love, tradition, and community. These weddings are characterized by their elaborate ceremonies, vivid rituals, and rich heritage.
A Bengali wedding is more than just a union of two individuals; it is a celebration of familial bonds, cultural traditions, and joyous festivity. With its rich rituals, vibrant attire, and gorgeous food , it becomes a celebration of all the senses and embodies the essence of Bengali culture.
And THAT is what we are going to talk about today â the aesthetics
Bengalis are indeed considered both aesthetic and artistic, with a legacy that spans various forms of creative expression.
We discussed the shift from family-centric weddings to what has now become professionally managed ones and how the scale has become larger and larger over time. We also looked into the possible reasons for the same â the disintegration of family structures, the inter-state or inter-cultural weddings allowing for a lot new inputs to become a part of the Bengali wedding
We then talked about the essential artistry used in Bengali weddings and how some of these are vanishing as âskillsâ â the alpona for instance
Ratnaboli spoke about the History of alpona, the symbols that were traditionally used and why, how there was alpona even in other states of our country (they have different names) and how alpona can elevate oneâs spirits!
She did a Live demonstration of alpona too !
Next up was the art of making a Shree â another vanishing skill. Soma demonstrated how a Shree is supposed to be made and with what while we looked at its symbolic value not only for a wedding but for any auspicious occasion
We also talked about the significance of :
-The Boron Dala and Kulo and how we could use better looking ones and the ingredients that went into those
-The Dwar ghots and how to install them âand why
-The new and improved Gachh Kouto âan essential accessory for a bride
-And how the humble âpaan pataâ (betel leaf ) had so many Gods and Goddesses residing in it! Going with todayâs trend, Soma painted the Paan pata âlive
There was a lot of evidence of Art all around âthe hand-painted piris, the Tattwa shuchi, the wedding card, alpona designs â TCAA looked so very pretty on this July afternoon 12
Moksha Talks Episode 10: Auspicious Weddings
In Conversation with Ms Ratnaboli Ghosh & Ms Soma Roy
Ratnaboli Ghosh studied in Loreto House, Loreto College and then Calcutta University for her Post graduation and has been a teacher all her life.
Her mother, Prativa Sen Gupta who was a student of Kala Bhaban, Shantiniketan, had been taught by Nandalal Bose, Ram Kinkar Baij, among others and later she became an Art teacher at Lady Irwin School, Delhi, Dowhill Girlsâ School, Kurseong and Loreto House, Calcutta. Needless to say, her mother was a major influence on Ratnaboliâs Art training.
Since the time she was 8 years old, she has been painting âBiyer Alponaâ; âBiyer Piriâ; Decorating Brides with chandan, designing and creating âTattwa shuchiâ and designing wedding cards. All these are part of the âShubho Bibahoâ repertoire.
Additionally, she has regularly drawn Alponas for festive occasions such as Lakshmi Pujo, Kaali Pujo, Durga Pujo, Diwali, Holi, Bhaiphota, Nabo Barsho,and other festivals
Her new experiences include — Alpona at Raj Bhaban, Netaji Bhaban, Vivekananda Bhaban, Hotels, Churches and Temples, etc.
She has thoroughly enjoyed Workshops with children in different schools.
Soma Roy has done her school education from La Martiniere, Kolkata and then went to Government College of Art and Craft, Kolkata
She has subsequently been an Art teacher in various schools in Kolkata and Dubai since 1982, till date.
â˘â â She has trained students for various Art competitions at the Inter-School level
â˘â â Conducted wall painting sessions for children with special needs
â˘â â Produced a play with students of the Primary section
â˘â â Designed props and costumes for school functions and exhibitions
â˘â â Conducted needlework and rangoli workshops for teachers
â˘â â She has also designed advertisements in the Art studio of Ogilvy Benson and Mather, Kolkata
â˘â â She also volunteers for NIAW, Saroj Nalini Dutta Memorial and some others
She too is an alpona expert .. and very often gets invited or commissioned to beautify entrances, staircases, corridors âŚ
A Bengali wedding, known for its grandeur and deep cultural roots, is a splendid celebration of love, tradition, and community. These weddings are characterized by their elaborate ceremonies, vivid rituals, and rich heritage.
A Bengali wedding is more than just a union of two individuals; it is a celebration of familial bonds, cultural traditions, and joyous festivity. With its rich rituals, vibrant attire, and gorgeous food , it becomes a celebration of all the senses and embodies the essence of Bengali culture.
And THAT is what we are going to talk about today â the aesthetics
Bengalis are indeed considered both aesthetic and artistic, with a legacy that spans various forms of creative expression.
We discussed the shift from family-centric weddings to what has now become professionally managed ones and how the scale has become larger and larger over time. We also looked into the possible reasons for the same â the disintegration of family structures, the inter-state or inter-cultural weddings allowing for a lot new inputs to become a part of the Bengali wedding
We then talked about the essential artistry used in Bengali weddings and how some of these are vanishing as âskillsâ â the alpona for instance
Ratnaboli spoke about the History of alpona, the symbols that were traditionally used and why, how there was alpona even in other states of our country (they have different names) and how alpona can elevate oneâs spirits!
She did a Live demonstration of alpona too !
Next up was the art of making a Shree â another vanishing skill. Soma demonstrated how a Shree is supposed to be made and with what while we looked at its symbolic value not only for a wedding but for any auspicious occasion
We also talked about the significance of :
-The Boron Dala and Kulo and how we could use better looking ones and the ingredients that went into those
-The Dwar ghots and how to install them âand why
-The new and improved Gachh Kouto âan essential accessory for a bride
-And how the humble âpaan pataâ (betel leaf ) had so many Gods and Goddesses residing in it! Going with todayâs trend, Soma painted the Paan pata âlive
There was a lot of evidence of Art all around âthe hand-painted piris, the Tattwa shuchi, the wedding card, alpona designs â TCAA looked so very pretty on this July afternoon 12