Durga slaying the demon Mahisha (Mahishasuramardini) - Krishna Chandra

A traditional Bat-tala woodblock print from Kolkata, depicting the goddess Durga in her battle against the demon Mahisha.

This print originates from the Bat-tala district of nineteenth-century Kolkata, a centre for affordable woodblock printing that catered to a growing urban audience. The work depicts the goddess Durga in her manifestation as Mahishasuramardini, the slayer of the buffalo demon Mahisha. She stands centrally, her multiple arms holding various weapons, while her lion mount engages the demon below. Flanking the goddess are her children, Ganesha, Lakshmi, Saraswati, and Kartikeya, arranged in a traditional iconographic format.

The composition is framed by an architectural arch, a common device in Bat-tala prints to suggest a shrine or temple setting. The artist, Krishna Chandra, employs a bold, graphic style typical of the period. The lines are clear and functional, designed for mass production, while the hand-applied colour adds a layer of warmth to the stark black ink. The use of yellow, red, and muted tones creates a balanced visual hierarchy, drawing the eye to the central figure of the goddess.

Bat-tala prints were often sold in local markets and served as accessible devotional objects for households. They represent a fusion of traditional religious themes with the burgeoning print culture of colonial India. The aesthetic is characterised by a flat, decorative approach that prioritises clarity of narrative over realistic depth. This specific print captures the synthesis of folk art sensibilities and the technical constraints of woodblock reproduction. It remains a clear example of the visual culture that defined the religious life of Kolkata during this era, providing a window into the intersection of faith and commercial printing technology.