Scenes from Kumartali.
Potters of Kumartali busy with their art.
Let there be light! Light on various strands of existentialism, light on a nation that’s withering away in corruption and finally light on our very souls caged in a body of flesh and blood which forms the basis of our conscience. O lord this is my prayer on deepavali!(festival of lights)
In Vedic cosmology sattva is a guna(fundamental quality)
which stands for light, purity, goodness. It is the embryonic emergence that
shapes the other two gunas which are rajas and tamas. To put it more coherently,
sattva (light) is what shapes and brings balance to dark inanimate objects.
Light from the sun permeates through all objects on earth and has created a
system of reckoning for all forms of life. All creation is governed by the
manifestation of light and a whole universe revolves around it. However, metaphorically the meaning of light
can be refracted through many a prism. Often life has been described to me as a
long journey through a tunnel trying to reach the light at its end, and for
each one that light has different connotation, it’s the culminating point where
the reason of existence meets their expectations. So life becomes a long exodus
towards the promised light of fulfillment.
Leaving behind the outer manifestations of light when I look
inside myself, I realize that there is a different sort of light---a subtle
spiritual mechanism hidden behind the bodily structure, a science of the soul
.It is said that all living beings are made in the image of God therefore our
souls are anchored in the Divine, which is why a new born baby smiles as it
sleeps because its connection to the omnipotent is undisturbed. As an adult,
spiritual realism has lately been occupying my thoughts and I turned to the
science of yoga to learn about the laws ruling the realms of consciousness so
that it would rekindle the light in me and help me comprehend the true nature
of matters in my life. My practice of the inner science of yoga continues with
the hope that everything in the future will improve by making a spiritual effort
in the mind.
Auburn leaves slowly fall from trees above, autumn is here
and nature is shedding its old attire to prepare for the new. After hectic
months of making idols for durga puja, the potters of Kumartuli in Kolkata have
no respite. Blue idols of goddess kali have to be created, the fearful and
ferocious dark mother is to be revered on the day of deepavali. The potters
wheels are furiously churning, clay is being shaped into the mother goddess and
at the same time “diya” or lamps are getting baked to brighten homes in
Kolkata. Deepavali meaning” an array of
lights” is a festival that marks the victory of good over evil, darkness being
consumed by light and the potters have to work hard to supply the enormous
demand for diyas so that the city can
outshine any eclipse. To witness an ancient craft that is passed down from
father to son, I arrive at Kumartuli as an insect is drawn towards the light
but this time it’s the light of art and creativity. At a time when my nation is
passing through trying times politically and economically, I witness a working
class of artists employing their skills for survival. Through the exercise of
power, vision and work these potters are liberating themselves from poverty
which has shackled majority of the masses in India. Their efforts are not
futile, the world now recognizes them as the potters who create beautiful idols
of goddesses, but kriya kalash is
working on displaying their lesser known creations. I sign off from this blog
with the hope that as we work towards creating light for others, we will
naturally light our way through life.
The finished product.
Different types of diyas (lamps) made by the potters of Kumartali.
If you like the diya or lamps made by the potter community of kumartali, kindly contact us on kriyakalash@gmail.com
