Meet Ratnabali Ghosh, a retired teacher from Kolkata who finds joy and purpose in spreading art across the city , one Alpona at a time.
Some people live their lives with purpose; finding meaning not in what they receive, but in what they give. Ratnabali Ghosh, a 72-year-old woman from Kolkata, is one such soul. With a bucket of natural colors and an unshakable spirit, she paints the streets and thresholds of strangers’ homes with intricate Alpona, the traditional Bengali art form made from rice paste and flower pigments.
For forty years, Ratnabali dedicated her life to teaching. But after retiring, she decided to return to her roots, to the art her mother, Pratibha Sengupta, once taught her. Through her Alpona designs, she has found a new calling: reviving Bengal’s folk art while adding beauty and joy to the city she loves.
On special occasions like Durga Puja and Diwali, Ratnabali wakes up before dawn, carrying her art kit and quiet determination. She walks through neighborhoods; Lake Market, Parasher Road, Raja Basant Roy Road leaving behind delicate, white patterns on streets and courtyards. Her motivation is simple. “I want people to be happy when they see these designs,” she says softly. And they are. Passersby often stop, smile, and click pictures; moments of delight amid the city’s rush.
Ratnabali’s work is more than decoration; it’s a gesture of devotion. Her Alpona turns public spaces into shared canvases, transforming ordinary streets into celebrations of culture and compassion. In her own quiet way, she embodies what Kolkata is often called, ‘The City of Joy’.
Through every curve and motif she paints, Ratnabali Ghosh reminds us that beauty, kindness, and tradition can still find their place, even on the pavements of a busy city.
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