Just before the festive days of Kali Puja and Diwali, Kolkata woke up to a delightful surprise — intricate, beautiful alpona designs adorning the doorsteps of houses in Lake Market, Raja Basanta Roy Road, and Pratapaditya Road. The artist? A 72-year-old woman with a vision to make the city smile through this traditional Bengali art form, which is now a rare sight in the fast-paced city.
Her name is Ratnabali Ghosh, and she’s no ordinary artist. For the past three years, she’s been transforming Kolkata’s streets into a canvas of traditional motifs, spreading joy and wonder along the way, reported The Telegraph.
Alpona, once a cherished tradition in Bengali households, is slowly fading. The humble, white designs drawn with rice paste have been replaced by sticker versions or the more colourful rangoli, which has gained popularity from other states. Ratnabali is determined to keep this unique art alive and bring it back to its roots — quite literally, on the streets of Kolkata.
As a young girl, she learned this art from her mother, Pratibha Sengupta, who had studied under the legendary Nandalal Bose at Santiniketan. Today, Ratnabali is driven by her memories and her love for the art, which she hopes will spark joy in those who witness it.
Ratnabali has taken her alpona to public spaces since 2022, covering 20 homes in north and south Kolkata each year. This year, despite the threat of Cyclone Dana, her art graced around 10 houses.
It’s no wonder that Kolkatans are in awe, waking up each day to her stunning designs. This small but impactful effort is giving the lost art of alpona a renewed spotlight, one doorstep at a time!