Courtesy: Shyamosree Roychowdhury

Alpana (Ritual Painting) is a kind of folk art and a spontaneous expression of the artistic sensibility of a person. It retains the past experience of the community and, at the same time, is very much contemporary in feeling. It is mainly the womenfolk who have kept the art alive in this part of the subcontinent. They retain connections with age-old traditions and at the same time are bold enough to experiment with new forms and new colours. They are conscious of the changing moods of the seasons and their creativity thus marks the changing cycle of the year.
Alpana has originated from the Sanskrit 'alimpana', which means 'to plaster', or 'to coat with'.Though it does not occur in any of the ancient books on art, but word Rangavali is mentioned in some of them. Rangavali means 'creepers painted in colours', and the description of this art clearly indicates that it was a kind of alpana.

Potchitro - a heritage of Bengal

Potchitro or story telling through depicting images on canvas has always been a traditional form of art and entertainment.
The trail goes a long way back to the Middle Ages when story telling was an important form of entertainment in Bengal. Poets told tales of gods, saints and the virtuous, of kings and queens, through their writings. Artists portrayed these verses through colours and motifs. The concept of comics as believed came from this form of art. The age-old folk art survived centuries to tell the tale. It still continues to entertain the art enthusiasts.