Bengali Folk (Proma Bhattacharjee)

As promised last week I am back with my first attempt at exploring various dance genres. But before that let me confess something, I had no idea that choosing the topic; rather the dance genre for this article would be such a momentous task. I was literally spoilt for choices…I could barely decide where to start from. Should I begin with Indian dances or go international, something snazzy and popular or something atypical.

But then I thought why go international just now when our nation itself is a reservoir of such rich and varied culture.

        When it comes to Indian dances, the names that immediately spring to our minds isBharatnatyam, Odissi, Katthuk etc. But Indian dances comprise of a much wider spectrum than its classical forms which reflect the rich cultural heritage of its various regions .These dance forms are called folk dances. Almost all the regions of the country have their specific folk music and dance, which is a form of expression of their community and traditions. These dances are simple and beautiful because they have the very essence of community and brotherhood in them.

         The eastern region too has its traditional folk dances, some of which have roots inBengal. Every Bengali has probably heard of Baul dance and though this form is slowly fading into oblivion it is an intricate part of our Bengali folk culture. How much do we actually know about Bauls? To most of us they are wandering minstrels dressed in saffron clothes and a turban with an Ektara singing and dancing along the village roads.

But there is much more to it…The word " Baul " refers to three terms : betul, which means " mad ", " out of rhythm " ; vayu, " air ", or the inner flow of energy which gives life and harmony to all sentient beings ; and âuliyâ, a term of Arabic origin, which means " saint ", " holy man ".Bauls can come from a Hindu or a Muslim background; in both cases, they are usually rebels against orthodox practices and social institutions. The reason of that is purely spiritual: they are continuously searching for Adhar Manush, the “Essential Man ", the inner being which is inside of each human body, and this quest for mad love goes beyond all boundaries.

Chaitanya Mahaprabhu is the greatest known Baul singer who had dedicated his life to the ultimate devotion of Lord Sri Krishna.

Bauls always sing and dance together in such a way that the mind melts into the soul in a harmonious way. In their dancing body, energy becomes fluid and intense, and this movement process wipes the ego away: only the Baul consciousness remains.

           Chau dance is another important folk dance which had originated in the Purulia district of West Bengal but has spread to other parts of India like Jharkhand and Orissa as well. But the Purulia Chau differs significantly from Chau dances of other states. This dance is a masked dance performed only by men and is mainly based on episodes from the great epics Ramayana and Mahabharata. The costumes are elaborate and colorful.

            Santhal dance is another common folk dance which is familiar to most of us.

Santhals actually are a tribe found in parts of west Bengal and Jharkhand .The tribal community has immense solidarity and lineage. Their dance is mainly dedicated to “Thakurji” whom they consider creator of the world. They also move with the music to celebrate nature’s glory and raise and message. Santhali dance is an immensely popular folk form.

 School and local functions often get to see performances based on Santhal dance, especially by young girls. I have vivid memories of performing on Indrani Sen ‘s ‘ Jhun jhun maina’ more than once during my school days. The song is not exactly Santhal but the dance steps always were. It was one of my favourites.

             Apart from these Bengal also boasts of some other folk forms Gambhira dance which is performed in the Malda district during the Chadak festival. Then there is the Tussu dance of the Birbhum district performed during the harvest season.

The Lathi dance is another notable form of folk dance which has a different art of expression. This dance is used to express different emotions like love, pain, anger, remorse, celebration. The moves of the Lathi dancers express each of these expressions beautifully.

              Folk dancing is mainly about expression of the community spirit and the unique heritage of each community and group and Bengal has no dearth of this unique culture and spirit.

For the next few weeks I intend to explore the various dance forms all over India and the inimitable culture and heritage attached to them.