Indian goddesses bound for Danish museum

Thursday, 24 October 2002, 19:30 IST
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KOLKATA: Clay images of two Indian goddesses, selected for their mystical qualities considered representative of Hinduism, will find a permanent place in the Danish national museum in Copenhagen. Two Danish officials who were in Kolkata last week have placed orders for clay images of Durga and Kali, the deities of cosmic power, to be showcased in the museum. According to Shyamal Kanti Chakraborty, the chief of the Indian Museum here, the Danish foreign ministry had written to him about Copenhagen's desire to promote understanding of Indian art, culture and religion. "After that Danish museum officials Brente Wolf and Morten Scruiver were here and they went around the workshops of clay modellers in Kumartoli (near Kolkata). They have placed orders for an idol each of Durga and Kali," Chakraborty said. The Indian goddesses will first be showcased in an exhibition at the Danish national museum under the "Images of Asia" section. "Thereafter the deities will find place in a permanent gallery of the museum," Chakraborty said. Also on display will be various materials and ingredients used in the worship of the two goddesses and the musical instruments played during the conduct of the rituals. The worship of Durga over a four-day period in autumn constitutes the Bengalis' biggest festival of Durga Puja. In terms of festivities and revelry, Durga Puja is the equivalent of Christmas for the Bengalis. The festival entails the worship of Durga, a goddess with 10 hands, and her four children -- Ganesh, Laxmi, Kartik and Saraswati. Their clay images are worshipped in private homes and in huge decorative public marquees. On festival nights, millions of people roam the streets visiting these community marquees. The two Danish officials were here during Durga Puja celebrations last week. They studied the various nuances of the ritual and took copious notes for illustrations to accompany the clay images of the goddesses. The Danish museum will not only exhibit the images of Durga and Kali, but also models of the various stages of making of the idols.
Source: IANS
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