Banglar Sora (Bengali Version)

• Author: Dipankar Parui

• Publisher: Suprokash

• Language: Bengali

About the Book:

• Banglar Sora focuses on the origin and spread of the Sureshwari Sora from the village of Sureshwar in Faridpur, Bangladesh.

• The book compares the design and artistic methods of the Sora with that of Faridpur's traditional Sora, noting similarities in the structure and design elements.

• The Sora is typically framed with red and green borders, with a narrow black band in between. The central design often includes images like those seen in the Durga family's traditional illustrations.

• The book also draws parallels between the composition of the Sora and the Bengali Dashavatara cards in terms of both color arrangement and design.

• The illustration style of the Sora shares characteristics with the Pattachitra paintings from Odisha's Raghurajpur, showcasing intricate line drawings.

• The pose of Durga depicted in the Sora aligns with the traditional Khass Bengal style.

• The flexibility of the line drawings in the Sora is compared to the fluidity seen in Buddhist thangka paintings from Nepal, particularly in how divine figures are depicted with long and flexible lines.

• Geographically, the proximity of places like Faridpur, Dhaka, and Sureshwar to the ancient Buddhist site of Paharpur or Sompur Monastery is significant, linking these art forms to the Buddhist Vajrayana traditions.

• The color processing in the Sora resembles that found in Nepalese thangka paintings, where both earth and mineral-based pigments are used.

• The book also explores the influence of tantra charts found in Nepalese thangka art on the division of the Sora canvas.

This work is part of the Suprokash Regional Studies Series, aiming to document and preserve the cultural heritage and artistic traditions of Bengal and its neighboring regions.