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Alpana is a very popular art, particularly in Bangladesh. This ancient art form is considered pre-Vedic, and dedicated to divine beings. In ancient times, indigenous people expressed their will as well as sought blessings from local gods and goddess by drawing several signs and symbols on floor. Later, the Vedic religion adapted this art and the Hindus incorporated the Vedic gods and goddess in this art.
   In the book, Naksha: A collection of Designs of Bangladesh, Sayyada R Ghuznavi writes ‘A decorative medium which has generated an extravagant array of motifs and patterns is alpana, the art of floor painting. Immersed in ancient ritualistic practices, the alpana has become a form of decoration widely used on festive occasions and is today an integral part of Bangladeshi culture.’
   ‘The aspirations of the human heart have no limits,’ says Tapan Mohan Chatterji, in his book Alpana. ‘The popular semi-religious usages and different cults are only an expression of these infinite aspirations. Alpana is the living symbol of these usages and aspirations.’
   ‘First of all, semi-religious ceremonies were instituted to celebrate the changing of the seasons and their influence on human nature; these cults, once established, developed gradually and were handed down from generation to generation.’
   The art of alpana, therefore, became and remained a domestic art. It is not taught in any school; the mother teaches it to her daughter in the home, and the daughter passes it on to her daughter. Thus the art has lived and grown from one age to another. It is essentially a feminine art; men take no part. Alpana is used for a variety of reasons, even in receiving a distinguished guest. The seat and place used by the guest is decorated by intricate alpanas.
   Alpana or ailpana is an indigenous world means the art of drawing. The word, ail a dialect of Bengali, means embankment or wall.
   Women were inspired to draw a city or a field within the perimeters of a circle or a squire, to represent fertility and safety. An object was drawn to symbolise a desired result in the conviction that actual fulfilment would thus be brought about.
   From primitive times, alpana has been a part of the ritualistic practice of brata, a vow observed by women for the fulfilment of a cherished desire. Each brata has its own alpana, which at the time of its performance is drawn on the ground with rice powder paste. Drawn freehand, the alpana must clearly depict the object the bratee (devotee) desires; otherwise its result will be nullified. Assigned and bound in its enclosure, the woman draws motifs symbolising her wishes and at a given time and places she invokes the blessings of the power that works in heaven and on earth.
   There are said to be over seventy bratas with their numerous presiding deities. The local serpent goddess Manasa and Vedic goddess of wealth and prosperity, Lakshmi, both givers of fortune and beauty, are invoked most frequently. Other local deities, like, Shasthi is worshipped for the birth and care of children while Sitala is invoked for protection against smallpox.
   ‘The drawing of an alpana begins from a centre point, it then spreads around. It may be circular, a square or a triangular; it depends on the artiste. They always draw freehand with different kinds of designs, like flowers, animals, leaves etc. During Lakshmi puja, they draw the footsteps of goddess Lakshmi, (who is worshipped for wealth) as a symbol of her coming to a house.’
   Pinrhi or Pidichitra alpana and ghata alpana are also included among the important brata alpanas. The cosmic world of the sun, moon and stars also features frequently in brata alpanas.
   In brata alpana, geometric and floral designs are incorporated with a display of articles of adornment; jewellery, comb and mirrors, for example, which may be desired by a young girl. Or the motif may be a stylisation of Lakshmi’s footprints, snakes, birds, or the planets, representing the protective deities, whose blessings a woman seeks though these magical drawings. Although the brata significance remains a strong link for Hindu women when drawing alpanas, today alpana decorations are widely used for wedding ceremonies and cultural functions. Beautiful intricate patterns of winding and waving spirals, geometric designs of zigzag lines or crinkled leaves, concatenations of curves or intersections of polygons enclosed in a circle or a square are included in the repertoire of designs used for these decorative alpanas.
   We can divide alpanas into two types, one is ritual and the other is aesthetic, as in the case of Ekushey February. However, the art of alpana is called Rangali in the northern part of India.
   The ritualistic alpana can be divided into four parts, like Kumari brata (for unmarried girls), Sadaba brata (for married women), Bibaha brata (for wedding ceremonies) and Puja-archana (for worshipping).
   ‘The origins of alpana are deep rooted; it is also a language’, says Mohammad Sayeedur, a noted folklorist. ‘We have forgotten the original language of alpana; now we are interpreting its language as the expression of beauty. Since the origin of human life, people have been fighting against all sorts of adversities. One is a direct fight against the enemy, which is visible and the other is against the supernatural evil power, which is invisible. The people, in ancient times, imagined many figures of the supernatural power or gods and goddesses and used to draw their images. They also begged shelter from the divine beings and at the same time expressed their desires to them.’
   ‘Alpana is a symbolic art form. This art has a lot of similarities with the figures of totems; it is absolutely an indigenous art. Though the people of the Hindu community practise this art widely, this art is not an Aryan or Vedic one. Once, the Vedic gurus had forbidden the practice of alpana as through this art the indigenous people worshipped mainly the Loukik Debotas or the local deities. Later, some images of Vedic gods and goddesses emerged for worship through this art.’
   The pre-Aryan people, like the people of other parts of the world, used the symbols of alpana. Some of these symbols were considered as good omen and some as bad.
   When asked about the resemblance of the sign of swastika to a sign of Brahma, Mohammad Sayeedur says, ‘It has a link to swastika as it is a symbol of power.’
   He continued, ‘as most of the people in this part of Bengal had converted to Islam, they leave out the religious part of this indigenous art.’
   People in ancient times used to draw alpana in every socio-religious celebration; but now, alpana is confined to some specific major events.
   Lotus is the epicentre of an alpana. The petals of a lotus in an alpana bloom like the petals of desire. On the other hand, the lotus is also a symbol of the sun and the sun is also a symbol of Shiva: power. After begging for Shiva’s blessing or the sun, the women start drawing the alpana.
   ‘Though the art of alpana is now an integral part of Ekushey February, this drawing is only for beautification, it has no traditional values. The original purpose of drawing an alpana is on the verge of extinction,’ says Sayeedur.
   A nonagenarian Jagat Bandhu Roy in Kishoreganj, said that he used to see his grandmother, mother, aunts and sisters draw alpanas on floors, pidis and pitches. They used to draw different kinds of alpanas at different sorts of festivals to get blessings from the divine beings. They followed their own methods following the traditional style.
   ‘Some decades back, most of the women were illiterate; they used symbols getting ideas from nature and explained the uses of symbols through their imagination,’ he says.
   In a traditional alpana, the women use panchaguri for five colours; abir for red, rice powder for white, turmeric for yellow, leaves of bell trees (wood apple) for green and ashes of husks for black. This is now a rare phenomenon. The importance of an alpana lasted only during the time of worship. This alpana is considered holy and is only drawn for that particular celebration or festivity.
   ‘The number of brata (vow) performed by women has decreased, because of poverty, and because it is a hard ritual. The women have to fast for two or three days and should be abstinent. Now, this practice is confined only for wedding ceremonies,’ says Roy.
   The religious aspects of alpana are almost disappearing; now, alpana can be considered a reminiscence of an ancient culture. And yet, with designs of alpana people decorate their floors to create a festive mood.
   Purna Shashi Saha, an 83-year old lady in Kishoreganj, said that she had learnt the art of alpana from her elder sister. ‘I used to draw for wedding ceremonies, mongalacharan (engagement) and for other puja-parbans or religious festivals. There are some mangalik programmes, related to weddings, where a widow cannot participate. A lay person may not understand the symbols of an alpana as the artiste uses her imagination as she wishes.’ She also said that there are few distinct symbols in some specific festivals. Otherwise, most of the symbols of alpana are more or less the same.
   Today this beautiful ancient art may not be widely practiced as ritualistic or religious paintings, but in Bangladesh, it has gained much popularity as a decorative art and plays an important role in sombre and national occasions like Ekushey February or at weddings and other celebrations.