Planning the trip – over hot tea and pakoda
It was a wintry evening in Kolkata and some of us friends were gathered together. We were all members of the World Art Organisation. A splendid chat was developing over cups of piping hot tea and pakodas, and soon the room was full of the excited chatter, laughter and witticisms from Sujata, Ajay and Shekar, my friends. Sujata’s expertise is in glass painting, while Ajay specialises in dot painting. I am a portrait painter and primarily work with acrylic on canvas while Shekar is the CEO of the World Art organisation.
Destination – An art competition
Invariably, as happens when we get together, the discussion soon turned to art and the new works that were coming up. Shekar announced that there was a painting competition being held at the New Modern Art College and he wanted all of us to go and judge the competition. The college was in Ghatal, which is the headquarters of the Ghatal subdivision in West Medinipur. About 110 kms from Kolkata and a 3 hour drive away, all of us were quite excited to catch a break from the stresses of our Kolkata city life. The town of Ghatal has the river Shilabati flowing through it and is a really pretty and rustic town. Besides, it was also an opportunity to meet up with Mr. Prosenjit Mula, who is also an artist and the Principal cum owner of the Art College, and his wife Sudipta. Finally, it was a competition aimed at encouraging the young to engage in Arts and created an opportunity for the artistic talent to be recognised in the district, a cause very dear to all of us. So, we quickly decided to take up this fabulous opportunity.
The journey through the green countryside
I was especially intrigued as my travels into the Bengal hinterland did not occur very often. Besides, I had never been exposed to artistic talent in rural Bengal and wanted to see for myself the enthusiasm as well as the artworks on display.
We set off, early one morning, and soon enough we were beyond the boundaries of Kolkata and traversing through the countryside of Bengal. Lush green fields, villages and a picturesque countryside made us lose ourselves in the ethereal beauty of the landscape. There was a nip in the air and we stopped a couple of times to enjoy hot tea and snacks from roadside stalls, which really added to the joy of the trip.
The untapped talent – the artists from rural Bengal
Soon we reached Ghatal and arrived at the New Modern Art College to a very warm welcome from Mr. Mula and his wife, Sudipta. After the welcoming pleasantries, we were led to where all the artworks had been displayed. And what a display it was…there were more than 200 works that had been submitted and the whole college looked like a humungous art gallery! Sketches, watercolours, charcoal paintings and crafts adorned the walls of the exhibition. It was evident that a lot of serious effort had gone into the works displayed and the quality spoke volumes of the kind of talent that we were expected to judge. I found the whole experience quite daunting! However, all of us along with a couple of local writers and the Magistrate of Medinipur, who were there as special guests, did go through the judging process.
Local cuisine and affection of the local people
As happens often, as soon as the competition judging was over, we were invited to lunch at a local villager’s home. We were treated to a scrumptious feast that included fish and chicken and all of us tucked into the local delicacies with gay abandon. The warmth and love which was heaped upon us really warmed the cockles of my heart.
Then it was time for us to paint! It was like an art camp and we all brought out our colours and canvases and got right to it! While to paint is always a matter of joy, what heightened it was the meeting the many local artists and the exchange of thoughts and ideas. At the end of it, we were presented shawls and mementoes and in typical Bengali fashion, a riotous evening of adda, laughter, music, and magic unfolded thereafter. The evening was rounded off with an authentic Bengali dinner, with huge lobsters as the piece de resistance!
The next morning we went for a stroll and picked up fresh vegetables from the fields! We walked through paddy fields and climbed up the Shilabati river bank and enjoyed ourselves thoroughly in the countryside with its pristine air and rustic simplicity.
Good things come to an end
Soon however, it was time to bid adieu and it was with a heavy heart that we said good bye to our hosts and started off for Kolkata. However, the memories that had been etched in our hearts with several parts of love and genuine warmth, in the midst of an unhurried and simpler way of life, will remain in all their resplendent glory for many eons to come!
Arteastic team is grateful to Pompa Roy for writing this piece on invitation. Pompa Roy is a Professional Portrait Artist from Kolkata. She is also a member of World Art Organisation and ex-member of Sketch Club of Academy of Fine Arts, Kolkata. She has been part of several art exhibitions across Kolkata and West Bengal. She normally paints Acrylic on Canvas, Water colors and also does sketches.