Manassa asserts her position through the figure of Behula, a devoted widow. The story goes that Chando is a merchant who stubbornly rejects the goddess, clinging to the worship of Shiva. In response, Manassa kills all his sons, including Behula's husband, Lakhinder. But she is so devoted that she remains with her husband's body, sailing off into the ocean with it (an image that in a modern scroll painting - an adaption of the traditional story-teller's prompt - sends a shiver down the spine). Shiva then persuades Manassa to relent, if Chando will bow down to her. He grudgingly agrees, and gets his sons back, but it was the will of Behula that was really responsible. A woman to the rescue — but again, only within the restrictions of a "proper", womanly role.
The art here is broadly what would once have been called - deprecated as - "folk art", yet its power, its force, its emotional appeal cannot be denied. It brings home the power of tradition, against which women activists in India must fight. Yet there's hope too, in the wonderful outpouring of an unnamed and unnameable artistic soul who created that central kantha. Here's the quiet, subversive power of creation, female creation, doing what it can, how it can, and now rightly celebrated at the centre of the world’s greatest museum.
The exhibition continues until January 7 in Gallery 91. It is part of the Museum's Voices of Bengal season. There's also an exhibition of paintings by the poet Tagore until November 12 in Gallery 3 (to the right of the main entrance), and the creation of a traditional Durga Puja tableau in the Great Court.
Article comments
1 - Q Bit
Natalie:
Thanks for the wonderful review. Here are some notes that you and the readers might find helpful.
1.flanked by her daughters Lakshmi and Saraswati and at the bottom (unusually enough), her sons, Ganesh and Kartik.
Lakshmi is the goddess of wealth.
Saraswati is the goddess of wisdom and learning.
Ganesh is the god of knowledge but for reasons unknown he's always a favorite of the business establishment.
Kartik is the war god and supposedly the most handsome of all gods.
2. The story goes that Chando is a merchant who stubbornly rejects the goddess, clinging to the worship of Shiva.
The name of the guy is Chand which means moon. People usually call him "Chand Saudagar" meaning " Chand- the merchant".
2 - Natalie Bennett
Thanks for the kind words. I've checked my notes and they definitely say Chando - but perhaps I was having a small hallucination.
I'll check in the Museum next time I'm in - perhaps the name is transliterated different from a different language or "translation" system - like Ganesh/Ganesha?
3 - Q Bit
Natalie:
I wouldn't be surprised if the Museum refers to him as "Chando". You are right when you say it's because "the name is transliterated different from a different language" (which is Bengali in this case).
But you can take my word on this and correct the museum folks - it should be Chand and not Chando ("Chando" doesn't exist in bengali). But I guess it doesn't make a big difference.
Ganesh is the correct one, but Ganesha is fine too--in South India it's Ganeshan :-)
4 - diana hartman
I am pleased to tell you this article is being featured in the Culture Focus today, September 18th.
Diana Hartman
Culture Editor
5 - Howard Dratch
Natalie: The exhibition sounds fascinating but I followed all the links and the BM only shows one image. The other links go to a great site on mythology (thanks) and one on Discovering Islamic Art with some architectural photos of mosques I would surely never see in person. However, is there more of the exhibition on-line?
6 - Natalie Bennett
Hi Howard. Sorry, there doesn't seem to be anything else online. I did post an admittedly not very good picture of the main display kantha. Unfortunately because of the glass and the nature of the lighting, getting any decent pictures was a challenge.