Kunko is a cup used for measuring rice in Bengali households. It is a rounded cup with a broader base and narrow top. It is made of either metal or bamboo. Rice, the staple food of Bengal, is considered sacred, and the cup used for measuring it, is revered as Goddess Lakshmi. The main motif of this alpona is Kunko filled with rice, which is considered a symbol of fulfillment and prosperity. On the Kunko, is a pair of fish. Fish is another staple food of Bengal. The people originally from East Bengal, offer fish to Goddess Lakshmi. Fish was both food and an important means of livelihood for their ancestors. A pair of fish, especially the Hilsa fish is also considered a symbol of fulfillment and prosperity. The wavy motifs on both sides are ‘Dhaaner chora’ or paddy stems. Dhaan or paddy is rice that still has its hull surrounding the inner edible kernel. On the top is the motif of ‘Lokkhir pa’, a very common motif in Bengali alpona, symbolizing the footprint of Goddess Lakshmi, enclosed in circle, meaning all round prosperity. At the bottom is the white owl, or Lokkhi Peycha, the vahana or vehicle of Goddess Lakshmi.
