Fancy an Artisanal Christmas at ITC Sonar and ITC Royal Bengal
Uniting the traditional and contemporary elements in adorning the Christmas tree with shola craft of West Bengal and depicting the birth of Jesus with Pattarchitra painting, ITC hotels give a platform to indigenous artists under their WelcomArt initiative.
Paying tribute to the age-old shola craft of West Bengal, a Shola Christmas Tree has been set up at ITC Sonar. It is indeed an imposing fusion of traditional elements with contemporary design.
The Shola plant grows wild in the marshy areas of Sundarbans. It has a hard outer bark and an inner core that is soft and milky-white. This spongy, malleable Shola is mostly used as the headgear of a Bengali bridal couple which is intricately crafted into delicate figures, artifacts, and ornaments. The Shola headgear of a bridal couple is an essential element in a Bengali marriage.
The garb white Christmas tree mimicking snowflakes sparkles with white Alpona, another art form unique to Bengal, adorns the floor as a golden snowflake takes the shape of a star atop the tree. It is an admirable effort to put the traditional craft in Public spaces. The unique herbaceous Shola plant grows wild in the mars water-bound Sundarbans. Beneath its hard outer bark, it has an inner core that is soft and milky-white. Adding to the spirit of the region, traditionally woven “gamchas” decorate the gift boxes carrying handcrafted dainties.
At the ITC Royal Bengal, one would be enthralled to see the 19th-century Dutch-Bengal style of Patachitra art. Hand-painted by local artist Soumyadeep Roy, this tree is a visualization of the traditional Nativity Scene, depicting the birth of Jesus. Through vibrant colors and a dynamic style, the tree illustrates people from across the world coming together to join in the celebrations of this festive season.
According to Tejinder Singh, area manager east, ITC Hotels and Cluster General Manager ITC Royal Bengal and ITC Sonar, ITC Hotels celebrate indigenous art, providing a platform to local artists through WelcomArt initiative. As per tradition, the hand-crafted Christmas Trees imbibe modernity while rejoicing in the cultural heritage of the region. This is in keeping with our ethos of Responsible Luxury, part of our initiative to help sustain the intrinsic flavor of the region.
