Commons Picture of the Day: Goddess Durga

Joydeep Chakraborty uploads photographs to Wikimedia Commons because he hopes his pictures will contribute to a deeper understanding of his country’s culture.

Chakraborty is from Burdwan, a small town in the state of West Bengal, India. He took this photo there last year while visiting temples during a celebration of the Durga festival. The image is the Commons Picture of the Day for October 22nd.
“Durga festival is the major festival in our state and to all the Bengalis all over the world” Chakraborty said. “Goddess Durga symbolizes the [triumph] of good over evil. [She] is treated as mother and is worshiped every year during October and November.”
Chakraborty’s photo depicts a sculpture of the goddess Durga with her sons and daughters overcoming the forces of evil. Chakraborty said the sculpture appealed to him because it’s “a very simple composition of the subject matter. This sculpture is unconventional and I find the composition simple, yet interesting.”
Chakraborty’s passion for photography began when he was a child. He received his first film camera at age 11 and used it to document a family vacation. He began taking photographs of many different subjects. “There were no particular types,” he said, whatever “looked eye catching to me, I’d have a snap.” When he became a teenager, he moved on to digital cameras and found that he enjoyed taking macro and close-up photos of insects.

Chakraborty has been contributing to Wikipedia Commons for over a year. “I first created an account on English Wikipedia and started editing articles. Then I started contributing with my photographs and attaching them to articles.” He added, “I saw Wikimedia Commons and started contributing with [what] I consider my good photos.”
He has greatly enjoyed his experience with other photographers on the site. “There are many experienced users who help [with] photography and identifying the subject matter,” he said. This has proven particularly useful when other users helped to classify some of the photos of insects he’s been taking.
As a recent graduate with a Master of Science degree in biotechnology, Chakraborty finds that insects are particularly interesting subjects to photograph.
“It is a great feeling [to share] my photos with the world,” he said. “ It is great to know that many around the world are viewing my photos. “
(See more of Chakraborty’s photos here.)
Zoe Bernard, Communications Intern