Adi Panjika Darpan by Asit Pal [Hardcover]

Once upon a time, every Bengali household would have a Panchika or Paji (almanac), which guided the family’s daily routine. There was an unshakable trust in the Panchika; it could tell everything except the date of death, as the learned scholars (ganatkar pandits) would claim. When the Panchika became so trusted in Bengali households, the publishers of these almanacs started to thrive. A competitive race ensued in the market to make the Panchikas more attractive and to add more useful information. In this way, alongside the Panchika, directories with essential information began to be included. Traders from the Battala area also leaned toward putting their business details in the pages of the Panchika. Readers would buy products after seeing these advertisements because of their immense faith in the Panchika. The traders were not hesitant to employ various tricks to attract the reader’s attention, using clever language and eye-catching images. Through woodcutting techniques, artists created many images, including depictions of deities and various festivals. A new stream of art emerged centered around the Panchika, made for the common people, aimed at their tastes and interests. We refer to this as "Popular Art." This book attempts to collect many such images, including advertisements, from the period 1842 to 1926, based on what is available. Advertisements are mentioned from the late 19th century up until pre-independence.

Asit Pal : Asit Pal was born on June 15, 1950. He spent his childhood in the College Street area and northern Kolkata. After receiving education at the Government Art College, he spent a long 30-year career with the Anandabazar group. He has conducted extensive research on the art of Battala. In 1983, his edited book Nineteenth-Century Kolkata Woodcuts brought him global recognition. His second book The Woodcut Artist Priyogopal Das of the Nineteenth Century is also a significant work of research. Under the Ministry of Culture of the Government of India, he completed a notable project in 2015 for the Lalit Kala Akademi. He gathered information and images about the multiple art traditions of Chitpur, the hub of India’s art evolution, which will serve future researchers. He loves both writing and studying art simultaneously. He has participated in many solo and joint exhibitions, both in India and abroad. He is also a regular speaker at art discussions and workshops. He has served as the Vice President of the Academy of Fine Arts and as a member of the All India General Assembly of the Lalit Kala Akademi. He has curated exhibitions on 19th-century woodcuts and lithographs in Delhi and Kolkata.