PROBASHI- A Cultural News Magazine Volume 2 Issue 2 | Page 46
Probashi- Invited Article
pocket Kodak1 and took some
snaps of the temple. As the
day was dull, I could not get a
clear view of the village
shrine. But was intensely
interested to see its peculiar
shape, so much unlike other
temples in Bengal province.”
2
What followed was a series of
adventurous trips to remote
rural locations in the districts
of Birbhum and Barddhaman,
initially on an old automobile,
and later on, on a bullock‐
cart fitted with a reasonably The twin Shiva temples of Kalikapur, Barddhaman. The temples have
wonderfully crafted dedicatory plaques in old Bangla script. Note the
good and functional film‐
photographer’s bullock‐cart in foreground.
processing unit complete
with a ceramic‐candle water‐
Hanuman Prasad Poddar, flew to Typically, Mukul’s cart would carry
filter to wash the negatives in the Bombay to buy photographic everything he needed on such a
post‐processing stage. He equipment and films; and a 20‐ trip. He records: “I soon collected
developed almost all his exposed bore Belgian shotgun and box essential materials, light but
films on location to avoid repeat loads of Eley‐Kynoch cartridges strong enough for the rough
visits.
for self‐protection in the lawless journey through the undulating
jungle tracts and occasional pot‐ country, rocky tracks and rice
About 1945‐46 Dey sold his
hunting while travelling to the fields. Mosquito‐net, beddings,
house and property in Calcutta
interiors of rural Bengal.
camp‐cot, folding chair, field‐
almost overnight to Seth
umbrella, water filter, American
water tanks, food provisions,
cooking
stove,
utensils,
medicines, folding ladders, planks
for scaffoldings and the materials
for the photographic dark‐room
were all collected. The results of
photo exposures must be
inspected on the spot, to prevent
needless
expenditure
and
repeated visits.”3
This enigmatic frame was possibly exposed by Mukul Dey at village Surul in
Birbhum, late 1940s. The location had long tradition of human sacrifices to
goddess Kali. Latest recorded sacrifice in Birbhum was on April 14, 2010. A
pointer to the inherent dangers in these lands during the time Mukul
ventured here with his photo documentation project
During my own prolonged search
for Dey’s papers I found many
small segments/scraps of papers,
in different stages of fragility,
which
contained
precious
information about this photo‐
documentation project. In a
small notebook that I found,
Mukul had scribbled his plans to
procure a pair of bullocks and a
cart for his transport. All the