Painting, water carrier, illustration of Calcutta life, opaque watercolour and tin alloy on paper, Kalighat, Kolkata, ca. 1840

Painting, in opaque watercolour and tin alloy on paper, image of a water carrier or bhisti with an elaborately patterned goatskin under his arm and held by a sling over his shoulder. The figure with a well groomed beard wears jewellery, headgear and a patterned dhoti. The water carrier wears amulets on his arms, multiple string necklace and has Shaivite markings on his forehead as well as both arms, which suggest he may be a priest rather than a low caste Hindu or Muslim worker. Possibly a scene from the Tarakeshwar murder case.

Image of a water carrier or bhisti with an elaborately patterned goatskin under his arm and held by a sling over his shoulder. The figure with a well groomed beard wears jewellery, headgear and a patterned dhoti. The water carrier wears amulets on his arms, multiple string necklace and has Shaivite markings on his forehead as well as both arms, which suggest he may be a priest rather than a low caste Hindu or Muslim worker.

Given by Cary Welch Esq., 1955.

The Tarakeshwar murder case of 1873 was a public scandal in Calcutta based on an affair between Elokeshi the young attractive wife of Nabinchandra Banerji and by the mahanta or chief priest of the Shiva temple at Tarakeshwar. Upon discovery of the affair, on 27 May 1873 her jealous husband Nabinchandra Banerji cut Elokeshi's throat with a fish knife ('bothi'). In the trial that followed Nabin was sentenced to life imprisonment and the Mahanta was fined and imprisoned for 3 years. Different variations of this affair favouring the various characters occur in several Bengali plays and Kalighat images between 1875-80. See Archer p12. However, it is doubtful that the Mahanta's punishment also included the task of that of a bhisti. The bhistis were generally Muslim men.

Historical significance: Calcutta was recognised as the Capital of British India from 1833-1912.By the 1830s, artists had arrived from rural villages in Bengal and began to produce paintings that reflected local history, mythology, customs and conflicts of a colonised society. As a popular art form, these artists are recognised for their use of brilliant colour, simplified images and swift brushstrokes that became the hallmark of Kalighat painting in the 19th and early 20th century.

This image raises questions concerning dating. Archer suggests a date of 1830 whilst Jain dates this painting to the 1870's as he argues it relates to the Tarakeshwar murder affair which started in 1873 and depicts the Mahanta or priest rather than a water-carrier.

IS.90-1955