Volume-I, Issue-V, May 2025 > Volume-I, Issue-VI, July 2025
Volume-I, Issue-VI, July, 2025 |
Received: 23.06.2025 | Accepted: 10.07.2025 | ||
Published Online: 31.07.2025 | Page No: 1436-1446 | ||
DOI: 10.69655/atmadeep.vol.1.issue.06W.150 | |||
ছাঁচে বাঁধানো সন্দেশ: এক লৌকিক শিল্পের অন্বেষণ কৌশিক হালদার, সহকারী অধ্যাপক, চারুকলা এবং নকশা বিভাগ, সিস্টার নিবেদিতা বিশ্ববিদ্যালয়, কলকাতা, পশ্চিমবঙ্গ, ভারত |
Molded Sandesh: A Search into a Traditional Art Form Kaushik Halder, Assistant Professor, Department of Fine Arts and Design, Sister Nivedita University, Kolkata, West Bengal, India | ||
ABSTRACT | ||
This article explores the historical evolution of Sandesh, a form of sweet dish in Bengal. The name Sandesh originated from Hindi, means "message." This delicious and traditional sweet has been an integral part of Bengali culture since the Middle Ages. It holds a significant place in rituals, festivities, and as symbolize a token of goodwill. During the colonial period, the rising demand for novelty in sweets by the British officials and the Bengali babus led to the invention of various delicacies of sandesh. It gains familiarity in the Bengali culture and the sweet-makers or modaks, began using moulds crafted from clay, stone, or wood to create unique designs for it. These are often handmade by the traditional craftsmen and later by women in their households, depicting intricate motifs that reflect cultural narratives, religious symbols, and aesthetic sensibilities of that time. In modern period, the traditional mould-making craft faced extreme decline in production due to mass-produced plastic, silicone, and aluminium moulds. It resulted in the declining of skilled mould makers and its demand. Hence, the craft is on the verge of extinction today. This study focuses on the origin and evolution of the sandesh mould making practice, social and cultural influences on their design and the shift from traditional to modernity. It also analyses the current challenges faced by traditional mould artisans in the face of technological advancement and changing consumer preferences in Bengal. | ||
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