Makara Sankranti/Poush Sankranti Bengal alpona, "Poush Sankranti in the villages"— part 5 Alpona adorn the courtyards of houses. A closer look reveals houses, stables or kitchens. Sometimes with pictograms of humans or animals inside, and offerings of chillies, onions, pea pods, different types of seeds meant for the kitchen, and grass.
Makara Sankranti/Poush Sankranti Bengal alpona, "Poush Sankranti at Sumitra’s home" — part 4 Drawings on the walls include agricultural tools, kitchen utensils, lotuses, fish, birds, abstract human figures, divine feet, mangoes, betel leaves, a palanquin, a pot of vermilion, arm ornaments and circular granaries.
Brata/rituals Bengal alpona, "At Sumitra’s home"— part 3 In the centre of the courtyard, wrapped in a white shawl, Sumitra paints with a confident hand on the beaten earth. She guides the milky substance between her fingers and invokes the presence of Goddess Lakshmi by repeating her footprints like an incantation.
Alpana/alpona Bengal Bengal alpona, "The River by Jean Renoir"— part 1 The Bengal I have been dreaming of since I was a teenager is the Bengal of villages and the graphic creativity of the women, as in the opening scene of Jean Renoir's film "The River", shot in 1950 in Barrackpore near Kolkata.
Alpana/alpona Bengal Alpona: Images and Symbols of Bengali Women In Bengal, ephemeral designs are called alpona, alpana or alimpan and are associated with rituals called brata performed by women during festivals.
