It's All Happening At the British
Museum - Voices of Bengal
During
this autumn there will be a series of exhibitions, installations and
performances, concerned with the culture of Bengal: an exhibition examining
the tradition of story-telling in the region; and the construction of a
spectacular image of the goddess Durga in the Great Court.
From 14 August27 September in the Great Court visitors will be able to
watch as master craftsmen from Krishnanagar in India create an imposing
image of the goddess Durga shown vanquishing the buffalo-demon. A family of
traditional drummers will perform from time to time as the figures near
completion. Durga herself represents female power triumphant. Every
year, Hindu Bengali communities worldwide make similar sculptures for the
Durga Puja festival, the most important event in their social and religious
calendar. When they are finished, the figures will transfer to the Camden
Centre in Bidborough Street for four days of Puja celebrations and worship.
The Myths of Bengal exhibition (from 14 September 2006 7 January
2007, Room 91) will focus on the rich tradition of story-telling in eastern
India. Using story-telling scrolls, sculpture, paintings and prints it will
present the narratives of the deities Durga, Kali, Krishna and Rama; the
Muslim saints who brought Islam to the Ganges delta; and the local snake
goddess Manasa. These stories revolve around the triumph of good over evil
and reflect the unique landscape of the delta country of Bengal. A section
of the finest of the Museumıs story-telling scrolls, the 13m long Scenes
from the legend of Gazi, will be displayed. This is one of the wonders
of the rural painting tradition of eastern India with its gloriously painted
war-elephants, tigers, miracle-working heroes and monsters.
A new book, Bengali Myths by Richard Blurton will be
published (British Museum Press £8.99) in September 2006 priced. It's part
of a series of books on myths entitled The Legendary Past.
