Bengal's 'Sites and Sights' on display

MUMBAI: There''s more to Bengal than Rabindra Sangeet, tangails and rasgollas. The state has an artistic heritage grander than that of Rajasthan, but Bengal''s cultural gems are scarcely known outside Kolkata, while those of the desert state are world famous, as Gautam Sengupta, head of the West Bengal department of archaeology, notes ruefully.
That''s one of the reasons his department has mounted a lovely little photographic exhibition on the ''Sites and Sights of West Bengal'' at the Prince of Wales Museum.
The exhibition, which runs until March 6, consists of 100 beautiful black-and-white pictures. Shot over the last ten years by Shriharan Nandy of the department, they shed light on Bengal''s artistic heritage, which has been moulded by Islamic, Jain, Buddhist and European influences.
Nandy''s lens zooms in on, among others, the Islamic monuments of Murshidabad and Malda, the terracotta temples of Vishnupur in Bankura, the Buddhist excavations in Jagajivanpur in Malda and the European-style mansions of Hoogly and Chandernagore.
"Such shows will help sensitise our people to the art and culture of other parts of the country," observed Pratapaditya Pal, director of the Norton SimonMuseumin California, who mooted the idea of the show.
"It''s a pity that art doesn''t travel between our states as much as it ought to," adds the scholar, who gave a slide-talk on Bengal''s art and architecture at the show''s inaugural.
The show sheds light on the terracotta craftsmanship of Vishnupur, which flourished as the capital of the Mallas until the early 19th century.
"Vishnupur, with its fabulous brick temples, is as atmospheric and as exciting as Hampi, but the West Bengal government has done little to lure visitors to it," mourns Dr Pal. "It''s a shame that its classic Chola-style architecture and exquisite terracotta carvings go unenjoyed."
Nandy''s camera has also captured Murshidabad''s Islamic past—its imambara, darwazas and mosques with their delicate carvings, calligraphy and paintings.
"Murshidabad has a rich tradition of Mughal painting but few know about it," Dr Pal notes. He derives consolation in the fact that at least a few know about its silks.
Through the show, one learns that the Buddhist monastery unearthed at Jagajivanpur, with its big booty of terracotta carvings, is among the most important excavations made after Independence.
And that many of the architecturalmarvels of Malda''s ancient capitals, Gaur and Pandua, are in ruins.
"Malda has been the crossroads of many dynasties and religions — Hindu, Buddhist, Jain, Islamic (Afghan, Pathan, Mughal) and British. It''s sad that its monuments are quietly crumbling to dust," says Shriharan Nandy. "But then that''s the story of much of India''s heritage."