Photographer Sanjay Das documents the State and its myriad representations in culture, art, landscapes and more. By Ayushi Sharma
Photography is perhaps the only art form that captures the present and seals it forever in history. Travel photographer Sanjay Das has chosen to lay particular emphasis on the visual storytelling of different parts of India since more than two decades. It has always been an effort to discover the known and unknown facets about this country, he says. However, to do this, one needs to walk off the beaten track which the photographer has done. His objective is to create an imagery that tells a story in texture, and in light and shadow to form a unique blend, which is spiritually as well as mentally rewarding.
Bengal has deeply inspired him time and again. For almost nine years now, since his first visit, he keeps going back to the region. Taking local boats and animal carts to reach the nooks and crevices of the fascinating land that holds many surprises, he says that he always prefers to travel by road. Be it landscapes, water, people, dialects, architecture, interiors, crafts, folk paintings, cuisine, textiles or festivals — Bengal is one place where culture is a way of life.
His photographic journey of the State is an endeavour to bring forth the ‘spirit of Bengal’ found in the blend of its land, people, culture and heritage. “It is mesmerising with its long history, cultural legacy and ancient architectural sites and above all, its amiable people and natural beauty. Every place I have visited is a witness to how the locals organically weave their spiritual practices within their everyday activities. The people, their life, occupation, skills, art and craft, tribes, festivals, fairs and rituals, depict the lyrical quality of life, spirit and the pulse of Bengal,” he says.
The state was the richest part of Medieval India and has a long tradition of popular literature, music and drama largely based on Bengali folklore and Hindu epics and Puranas. He tells us, “Rural Bengal takes the lead in keeping the old customs and the associated song and dance forms alive in the modern era. The folk songs and dances deal with a variety of themes. While some are associated with religion, prayers, festivals and rituals, others talk about society at large, and yet others bring religious epics to life.”
His focus as a photographer is to search and document unique images that present the State as a pulsating tapestry of life, interwoven together with different ethnicity, culture, religion, languages and a diverse landscape — flanked by the Himalayas in the North, the lush Gangetic plains in the central part and the deltas and beaches in the South before the myriad tributaries and distributaries of Ganga finally drain into the Bay of Bengal forming a unique biosphere, the Sunderbans.
“Many of my images have depicted how devotion and spirituality exist as a way of life in Bengal, in its lanes and by-lanes, through its sublime culture, inherently religious people and rituals that are in harmony with nature. Be it the different religions all-assimilating into one or the lovely cultural events that seem to make up the glorious state that it is. The images of Bengal’s Architectural influences from different eras are seen in its various temples, mosques, churches, rajbaris (home of the aristocratic people in the olden times) meticulously documented by me,” he says.
“The water line forms an integral part of Bengal with its many rivers, Ganga delta and Bay of Bengal. The Hooghly, the lifeline of millions of people who live along its bank, dramatically changes the landscape, with wonderful lush green fertile flood plains of the golden Bengal. I have captured many moments of this fascinating river that flows into the Bay of Bengal from the Himalayas where it is alive with people bathing on its banks, pounding their clothes on flat rocks to launder them, fishing from boats, towing passengers across or swimming,” adds Das.
He feels that Kolkata is, indeed, a unique blend of past and the throbbing vitality of a metropolis of teeming millions. “The city, with its centuries-old heritage buildings, is brimming with life and looks like a medley of colours and sounds. Roads are thickly populated with yellow taxis, the rickshaw-pullers, trams, buses, cars, cycles and people. Here, life never comes to a standstill, except for the noisy impasse created by the traffic jams,” Das tells us.
The photographs have been taken in monochrome as he feels that it gives them a nostalgic feel of the yesteryears. However, in a span of nine years, “during the time I was doing my survey and research on Bengal, I have witnessed the changes the State has undergone,” he says and adds, “In a few years, many of these facets will be reduced to dust, and with that we lose an essential part of our pristine glory. Therefore, as a photographer, who wants to keep alive the stories and unique elements for posterity, it is my effort to preserve through visual archiving the remains of a glorious past and components of our plush ethnicity. As much as we hope not, this may cease to exist in the years to come. And that is when these archives may help ameliorate the memories of those generations, who may never get to see these images and memories again.
(Presented by Gallery Art Exposure and curated by Ina Puri, the exhibition, Aparajito — The Unvanquished, has been put on hold due to the Coronavirus pandemic. It shall be rescheduled and the gallery will notify the new updates.)