New Delhi   

Celebrating the creativity of the boat-maker

Saif Ali Khan sitting in a boat under a setting sun drifting down the Hooghly river in "Parineeta" might soon only be an image for the large screen. With traditional boatmen facing tough competition from the newer and faster "avatars" cutting across the water, the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA) in New Delhi has brought alive the story of the Bengal boats in "Tori Kotha". It is an exhibition that gives viewers a chance to understand an occupation that might seem romantic to people in landlocked Delhi but is woven very intricately into Bengali culture.

"Thousands of people whether fishermen, boatmen or boat-makers are all dependent on the craft. Hence in a poetic sense, this is lifeboat. The imagination of boat builders gets reflected in their practical skill in designing and executing that design," says Swarup Bhattacharya, an anthropologist who has put together the exhibition.

Apart from 150 photographs, the exhibition that is the culmination of eight years of research in the field of boats by Swarup has 40 different models of boats. Tiny intricately made boats, these models celebrate the creativity of the boat-maker as well as their ingenuity to be engineers without studying.

Having learnt from the environment, they might not know any theories, but they are able to put together complicated designs. "They learn from the environment. The boat-makers are very ingenious. They are now evolving new kinds of boats, new shapes, while following old traditions. They have modified old techniques to suit the new conditions," he adds.

One of few the places like Kerala still clinging on to old traditions of boat-buildings, the boats of Bengal are not just about transportation. Representing a simpler day and age, the life associated with these boats has been absorbed into the cultural patterns. And while the exhibition might be a way to introduce people to this way of life, Swarup believes it should lead to creation of a permanent museum to keep alive this heritage. "Tori Katha" will remain open to the public up to March 31. -- Mandira Nayar

-- Mandira Nayar

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Stories in this Section

BJP seeks disqualification of 18 Delhi Congress MLAs, one Member of Parliament
Capital to have elevated corridors
Celebrating the creativity of the boat-maker
Six Bangladesh migrants arrested
Felicitating modern heroes
Police hunting for absconding accused in Jessica case
Another award in her kitty
A fight with corruption
Around the City
In The Capital Today

Copyright © 2006, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu