We are going
to talk today about Alpona (Bengali rangoli art) and the beautiful childhood memories
associated with itJ.
Alpona
Alpona
is a traditional decorative art form that has been traditionally been practiced
by women in Bengal. The designs are traditionally
created
as motif based floor paintings using rice flour mixed with water. The designs
are applied drawing surface using cotton dipped
in
thick rice flour slurry. One can also use maida flour (all-purpose flour) for
the same.
Alpona
is mainly drawn in Bengali tradition during Lakshmi puja. People believe that
it brings good fortune
to our
homes. Alpona can also be seen in Bengali homes during marriage ceremony or
another festival.
Apart
from these it is also seen on the walls of mud huts of rural people as a part
of decorating their houses.
 |
Alpona -with Dhaner ChhoraPicture Source- Internet |
আলপনা
আলপনা হচ্ছে বাঙালিদের বিশেষ একপ্রকার
সাজাবার উপযোগী চিত্র। যা তৈরি করা হয় ময়দা বা চালের গুঁড়োর মধ্যে
জল মিশিয়ে। এটি
আঁকা হয় মেঝের মধ্যে। তুলা বা পাতলা সুতির কাপড়ের টুকরো নিয়ে এর মধ্যে ভিজিয়ে এই
চিত্র
আঁকা হয়।
আলপনা প্রধানত
দেওয়া হয় কোজাগরী লক্ষ্মী পূজার দিন। মানুষের বিশ্বাস ঘরে সৌভাগ্যের উদয় হয়
আলপনার ছোঁয়ায়।
মা লক্ষ্মীকে বরণ করে নিতে এঈ আলপনার ব্যাবহার সুদূর অতীত থেকে চলে আসছে। লক্ষ্মী
পূজা
ছাড়া বিয়ে বা
অন্য উৎসবেও আলপনা আঁকা হয়।
তাছাড়াও গ্রাম
দেশে ঘর সাজানোর জন্য বাঁশ বেতের ঘরের মাটির দেওয়ালে আলপনা আঁকা হয়।
 |
Alpona -with Floral theme and Shankho (conges/ shells)Picture Source- Internet |
During
our child hood days, the children of our locality would plan new design for the
Alpona (decorative floor art) for Laxmi Puja every year at their home. There
was no internet in these days, and we all had our original ideas or we would
take ideas from the Alpona we have seen before.
Children
were always encouraged to draw the Alpona, the Puja and other rituals were done
by the elders. As children, we too used too used look forward to this art
display and we had the entire floor space of our home as canvas! J We would
start from the entrance door and lead the Alpona to all rooms and finally to
the Puja room where the ritual was to be done.
I
would draw continuous thin pattern along the floor, supposedly denoting paddy
crop strands (called dhaner chora in
Bengali) and have larger flower or other pattern at intervals and imagine these
flowers to be the resting place for the goddess Laxmi while walking along the
dhaner chora!J Laxmi puja is generally done in the evening,
and thus, we would complete the Alpona quite before sunset so that we friends
have time to visit each other’s’ homes to review the Alpona designs. How nice
and beautiful those times were.
Yes, truly,
our childhood was filled with imagination and playing outdoors! J
We give Alpona during Dussera
too, the day goddess Durga leaves for her home. It is said that the Alpona
depicting the feet of Maa Durga should be little bigger than those of goddess Laxmi.
There are some standard motifs of Alpona for the traditional Puja rituals. During,
marriage and other ceremonies, it is usually circular and commonly on floral
themes.
The
beauty of Alpona is it being a beautiful tradition and its simple application;
and of course an art and expression!
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