Dr. Bikas Karmakar
Assistant Professor, Government College of Art & Craft Calcutta. Email: bikaskarmakar@gmail.com, https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7045-8744
Volume 13, Number 4, 2021 I Full-Text PDF
DOI: 10.21659/rupkatha.v13n4.39
Abstract
Valmiki Ramayana is one of the most popular, universally read, and widely circulated literary works. The poets of different languages in India ornamented Valmiki’s Sanskrit Ramayana with the vibrancy of their own indigenous languages and cultures. A significant number of such versions trace their roots to Bengal. The epic was first translated into the Bengali language by the great poet Krittibas Ojha. Its influences and popularity have been such as to justify it being called the Bible of the people of Bengal. Its intense undiminished popularity among the populace has also left an indelible impression on the artisans of Bengal and their creations in different eras. The study primarily aims to investigate the Ramayana narratives that have been found on the facades of the temples of Baranagar in Murshidabad, West Bengal, India. The intention is to trace the impact of Krittibas’s Srirama Panchali on the portrayals of the Ramayana episodes. The formal method of Art History has been employed to provide an in-depth description of the formal elements that have been incorporated by the artisans. Besides, a detailed critical inspection of the concerned portrayals has been complemented with literary references to get a lucid understanding of the intended issues.
Keywords: Valmiki’s Ramayana, Krittibas’s Srirama Panchali, narrative art, terracotta temple’s facade, Baranagar, Murshidabad