Durga slaying the demon Mahisha (Mahishasuramardini)

This early relief print celebrates regional religious practices in West Bengal, particularly those centered in the city of Kolkata. Here, the goddess Durga is enthroned in her portable pavilion (pandal), similar to those installed in temporary shrines during the city’s annual Durga Puja festival. The goddess, aided by her lion mount (vahana), slays the mighty demon Mahisha. Durga is flanked by her children, with Ganesha on her right and Kartikeya on her left. A curved frieze frames the figures and shows various mythological battle scenes and vignettes from the Ramayana epic. Concealed within the lower register, marked by brickwork patterning, is the artist’s name inscribed in a Bengal script