By Saheli Khastagir
– Artist’s Website –
I am an Artist and an occasional poet, with a degree in Psychology, and a job in Social-Development.
This painting was made right one of the biggest festivals in India, especially among Bengalis- Durga Puja, wherein the goddess Durga is worshiped.
It’s a comment on our hypocrisy, where we celebrate the godly woman/mother figure of Durga, but are somehow failing to respect the everyday women/mothers/girls around us. This holds true for both genders of course.
I have highlighted the violence against the earthly women around us while we pep up to pray to the godly woman in the temple-tents (pandals), because that was relevant at that particular moment with all the decoration, adoration, and preparation that was going on for the festival. But really, violence against almost everyone and everything that can be violence-d upon is sadly prevalent. While we simultaneously pray, celebrate and are so generous to their counterpart-idols in the temples.