Culture of West Bengal

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Baul singers at Shantiniketan

The culture of West Bengal is an Indian culture which has its roots in Bengali literature, music, fine arts, drama and cinema. Different geographic regions of West Bengal have subtle as well as more pronounced variations between each other, with Darjeeling Himalayan hill region and

Duars
showing particularly different socio-cultural aspects.

West Bengal's capital Kolkata—as the former capital of India—was the birthplace of modern Indian literary and artistic thought,

addas, or leisurely chats, that often take the form of freestyle intellectual conversation. However, with the growth of apartments, expansion of neighbourhoods and rapid urbanization, this culture is on decline.[5][6]

Literature

Main articles:
History of Bengali literature

The

Mangalkavya, Shreekrishna Kirtana, Thakurmar Jhuli, and stories related to Gopal Bhar
. In the nineteenth and twentieth century,
Ram Mohan Roy, Swami Vivekananda, and others, this constituted a major part of the Bengal Renaissance.[7] The middle and latter parts of the 20th century witnessed the arrival of post-modernism, as well as literary movements such as those espoused by the Kallol movement, hungryalists and the little magazines.[8]

Theater and films

Bengal has a long tradition of indigenous theater that dates back to the 1770s and consists of popular tales enacted through dance, music, and narration. Modern theater was introduced by Europeans in the mid-19th century and sustained by colonial educational institutions. The mythological and historical plays dominated the last quarter of the 19th and first quarter of the 20th century, but gradually gave way to urban middle-class predilections in society. The

Kamaleswar Mukherjee, Sandip Ray.[13] Uttam Kumar was the most popular lead actor for decades, and his romantic pairing with actress Suchitra Sen in films attained legendary status.[14] Soumitra Chatterjee, who acted in many Satyajit Ray-films, and Prosenjit Chatterjee are among other popular lead male actors. As of 2020, Bengali films have won India's annual National Film Award for Best Feature Film
twenty-two times in sixty seven years, the highest among all Indian languages.

The Victoria Memorial in Kolkata

Music

Main article: Music of West Bengal

The

ghazals.[citation needed
]

Popular music genres include adhunik songs.[16][17] Since the early 1990s, new genres have emerged, including one comprising alternative folk–rock Bengali bands.[16] Another new style, jibonmukhi gaan ("songs about life"), is based on realism.[18] UNESCO selected The Rural Craft Hub of Bengal to showcase their artwork in Paris in 2015.[19]

Dance

West Bengal is known for its diverse culture, and dance plays a significant role in showcasing this. Each region has its own unique dance form that not only reflects the culture and history of the area but also incorporates worldwide themes. The Brita dance is a traditional folk dance performed by women to seek blessings from the Gods for their children's wishes to come true or to celebrate recovery from illness. The Gambhira dance is a devotional folk dance that addresses social, political, and moral issues of contemporary society, and it is popular during festivals in North Bengal. The Santhal dance celebrates nature and addresses gender issues and land rights, and it is performed by both men and women of the Santhali tribe. The Lathi dance is a well-known form of dance that expresses various emotions of human life, including celebration, anger, pain, and love. Finally, the Chhau is a widely practiced tribal dance that incorporates martial arts, athletics, and religion, with stories taken from the great epics of the Ramayana and the Mahabharata.[20]

Attire

Though Bengali women traditionally wear the special

pyjama and lungi
are seen during weddings and major festivals. Like any other metropolis, Kolkata also has an eclectic mix of western wears with a tinge of ethnic wears. People are found dressed in jeans along with kurtas, or sari along with an overcoat. women usually do a good makeup which attracts men and keeps them respected

Festivals and celebrations

Main article:
List of festivals of West Bengal

Buddha Jayanti, Tendong Lho Rumfaat, Eid al-Fitr
etc.

  • Durga Puja, biggest festival of West Bengal
    Durga Puja, biggest festival of West Bengal
  • Glittering lighting decorations during Durga Puja.
    Glittering lighting decorations during Durga Puja.
  • Kali Puja, a major festival of West Bengal
    Kali Puja, a major festival of West Bengal
  • Saraswati Puja
    Saraswati Puja
  • Rath Jatra is widely celebrated in Bengal
    Rath Jatra is widely celebrated in Bengal
  • Bandel Church
    Bandel Church
  • Colours for Dol. Abir on sale at a market
    Colours for Dol. Abir on sale at a market
  • Chhau Mask dance parforming in the field
    Chhau Mask dance parforming in the field
  • Muslims gather at Muharram procession in Kolkata
    Muslims gather at Muharram procession in Kolkata
  • Shops selling Christmas decorations in Kolkata
    Shops selling Christmas decorations in Kolkata
  • Poila Baisakh festive meal
    Poila Baisakh festive meal
  • Shoppers at the Poush Mela Fair
    Shoppers at the Poush Mela Fair
  • Jagaddhatri Puja in Kolkata
    Jagaddhatri Puja in Kolkata
  • Kapil Muni Temple at Sagardwip
    Kapil Muni Temple at Sagardwip

West Bengal has a long tradition of popular literature, music and drama largely based on Bengali folklore and

epics and Puranas
.

See also

References

  1. ISBN 978-0-940322-82-0
    .
  2. ^ Reeves, Philip (5 April 2007). "Calcutta: habitat of the Indian intellectual". National Public Radio. Archived from the original on 2 October 2011. Retrieved 29 December 2012.
  3. ISBN 978-1-84014-800-8
    .
  4. ^ a b "Kolkata culture: Para". Department of Tourism, Government of West Bengal. Archived from the original on 21 December 2011. Retrieved 9 December 2011.
  5. ^ Trachtenberg, P. (15 May 2005). "The chattering masses". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 5 December 2013. Retrieved 26 April 2006.
  6. ^ Mukherjee Pandey, Jhimli (1 November 2008). "Presidency old-timers to relive days of canteen adda". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 7 July 2012. Retrieved 23 January 2012.
  7. ISBN 81-7476-355-4
    .
  8. ^ "India: The hungry generation". Time. 20 November 1964. Archived from the original on 8 March 2008. Retrieved 24 January 2012.
  9. ISBN 978-0-8108-8024-5
    .
  10. ^ Chakraborty, Ajanta (5 July 2011). "Meet the new Mamata Banerjee". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 8 July 2012. Retrieved 23 January 2012. The jatra industry based out of Kolkata's Chitpur Road has gone through a severe blow with the growth of video parlours.
  11. ^ Niyogi, Subhro (26 October 2010). "Red alert For Jatra". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 7 July 2012. Retrieved 23 January 2012.
  12. S2CID 143977618
    ..
  13. ISBN 978-0-415-57006-0. Archived
    from the original on 30 June 2023. Retrieved 24 January 2012.
  14. ISBN 978-93-5435-271-3. Archived
    from the original on 2 February 2023. Retrieved 25 July 2022.
  15. ^ "The Bauls of Bengal". Folk Music. BengalOnline. Archived from the original on 19 January 2003. Retrieved 26 October 2006.
  16. ^ a b Dorin, Stéphane (2005). "La globalisation du rock vue de Calcutta" [The globalization of rock to Calcutta]. Volume! (in French). 4 (1): 144–45. Archived from the original on 8 May 2013. Retrieved 29 January 2012.
  17. ISBN 978-0-8264-7436-0
    .
  18. ISBN 978-0-7619-3242-0
    . Retrieved 10 February 2012.
  19. ^ Roy, Tasmayee Laha (5 February 2016). "West Bengal rural craft hubs help artisans double their incomes". The Economic Times. Archived from the original on 13 February 2018. Retrieved 13 February 2018.
  20. ^ "music and Dance - Egiye Bangla". wb.gov.in. Archived from the original on 18 March 2023. Retrieved 23 May 2023.
  21. ^ Yengkhom, Sumati (23 September 2010). "This Puja, buzz over western clothes". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 11 July 2012. Retrieved 23 January 2012.
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