#alpona

[classystudentpartyslime]

Current mood: 15 minute digital doodles

[lotemaach]

learning to love the process again

[arjuna-vallabha]

Alpona painting in Bengal, photo by Sudhiranjan Mukherjee

[mindfullthinkingofficial]

[kaalbela]

Alpana or alpona (Bengali: আলপনা) is a folk art form from Bangladesh and West Bengal in India. It consists of colourful motifs, sacred art or painting done with hands and white paint, which is a paste of rice and flour. The word Alpana is derived from the Sanskrit alimpana, which means 'to plaster' or 'to coat with'. Some believe introduction of Alpona in Bengal can be of non-Aryan origin, derived from ‘ailpona’- the art of making ‘ails’ or embankment, believed to keep homes, neighbourhoods or villages safe and prosperous. Traditionally, it was drawn by the women of the house before sunset on auspicious occasions and festival days.

The Alpona paint is a liquid paste made of the slurry of atop chaal (refined rice) and was originally drawn on a base of clay mixed with cow dung. Although, predominantly it is white in colour, artists can add hues to the design using turmeric paste for yellow and red clay with vermillion paste for crimson. Traditionally Alpana is drawn in circular patterns: popular motifs include the sun, swastika, rice stems, owls, ladders, ploughs, fishes, lotus, betel leaves and footprints of the goddess Lakshmi.

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[jukti-torko-golpo]

I am so excited rn. Hnnnghshshsb.

[vintageindianclothing]

Alpona, Nandalal Bose.

Click for larger view.

[arjuna-vallabha]

Alpona by Sudhiranjan Mukherjee, Bengal