ArtisanConnect
Delta Community Center Inc. is committed to empowering marginalized artists from India by raising global awareness of their unique craftsmanship and facilitating direct access to broader markets.
2024 - Majilpur Dolls
These exquisitely crafted clay dolls are dried in the sun and hand painted. The figures are rounded, painted with vibrant colours and coated with Gurjan (balsam) oil to enhance their lustre.
These dolls bring you a beautiful flavour of some of the master craftsmen of rural Bengal. In his lifetime, legendary artisan Manmatha Das created more than 105 Mojilpur doll moulds, including several divine figures. His nephew Panchugopal Das would even craft large Durga idols in his inimitable style. Unfortunately, with the demise of such master craftsmen as Manmatha and Panchugopal, this unique art form is almost on the verge of extinction.
Today, these beautiful clay dolls are manufactured single-handedly by Manmatha’s grandson Sambhu Das. The ancestors of the Das family had migrated to West Bengal from Jessore (a district in south-west Bangladesh) several decades ago. Shambhu is currently the only artist in Bengal who still makes these beautiful dolls by hand, and is struggling to keep this beautiful art from going extinct.
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2025 - Patachitra
Patachitra, the vibrant folk art of Bengal, is a rare fusion of painting, storytelling, and music that has flourished for over a thousand years. Rooted in the village of Naya, Pingla in Paschim Medinipur, this tradition derives its name from the Sanskrit words pata (cloth) and chitra (picture). Recognized as a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage, Pingla today remains the heart of this art form, where nearly 176 households keep it alive.
The artists, known as patuas or chitrakars (often their family surname), create colorful scrolls using natural dyes, illustrating scenes from Hindu mythology, local folklore, and even contemporary life. As they unfurl their scrolls, they sing narrative songs that animate the paintings—an experience many regard as the precursor of modern-day animation. More than entertainment, Patachitra preserves history, faith, and social values, passing them down through generations.
Delta Community Center Inc presents this timeless art form at our 2025 Durga Pujo celebrations. We invite you to join us in experiencing the magic of Bengal’s living tradition—Patachitra, where stories come alive through brush and song.
We are fortunate to curate several original Patachitras by Chandan Chitrakar, an award winning patua from Pingla, West Bengal. As part of our ArtisanConnect initiative, this year, we will showcase Shri Chandan Chitrakar and his patachitras.
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