The Crown of Fire

This is a photograph of an ancient tradition of bengal, dhuno pora (burning frankincense).

Dhuno Pora, is a tradition that is followed during the Durga Puja in West Bengal. The vowed woman sits in front of the idol, legs folded and hands rested on the knees. Then she is draped with pieces of dripping wet cotton cloth, from head to toe. Three malshas (earthen pots) are placed, one each on the head and the two hands atop lumps of wet mud. The malshas have a fire burning with the help of jute sticks and solid dhuno (frankincense).

This ritual is done mostly by the married women of a household in the hopes of good health and prosperity of her family. She sits there with raging fire on her hands and over her head without a speck of fear in her eyes. I can only imagine the heat from all that fire she was experiencing as even I was drenched in sweat standing at a distance from the actual ritual. But never in those 10/15 minutes did I see any expression of uneasiness on her face. Guess that’s what queens do and this one has decorated herself with the crown of Fire.

DEVICE: Sony A7 3

DIMENSION: 2456*3344

Title: The Crown Of Fire

License: Primary NFT holder is free to use in advertising, display privately and in groups, including virtual galleries, documentaries and essays by holder of the NFT, as long as creator is credited. Provides no rights to create commercial merchandise, commercial distribution, or derivative works. Copyright remains with creator.

About the Artist: I am a self taught multidisciplinary photographer based out of Kolkata, West Bengal, India. My keen interest is in Street, Travel & Landscape photography. My works are published in renowned page like NatGeoIndia. You can connect me on Instagram @behaya and see my work there for a wider perspective and understanding.