Dancing Around India: Chapter 7 – West Bengal Folk Dances

— by Srishti Bhattacharyya

–Reading Time – 30 min Approx

Sunetra’s focus had widened from just the dances of the states in India to the cultures of each state as well. That is why Sunetra had decided to travel to Shantiniketan, a town in West Bengal, famous because of the university built there by the legendary poet, Rabindranath Tagore, even though she didn’t think there was any form of Bengali Dance form that she could learn about.

That is why after coming back from the beach that night, she found herself booking a train ticket from the Kolkata Station to the Bolpur (Shantiniketan) Railway station.

Her train ticket to Kolkata was already booked and she was to leave as soon as the next morning.

According to her schedule, Sunetra woke up at 4:15 A.M. the next morning. She freshened up, showered, and got ready by the next fifteen minutes. She wanted to go to the station at least an hour before but that wasn’t possible anymore as her train was set to leave the station at 5:30 A.M. By the time she left her hotel and sat on the auto, the time was 4:45 A.M.

A twenty-minute auto ride led her to the Puri Station. Thankfully, she had reached the station by 5:05AM and the train was not there yet. If her information was correct, then the train will reach the station in another ten minutes.

Sunetra had just somehow managed to pack things up and leave. She was very tired and even if she hadn’t planned it, she knew the moment she took her seat by the window she will fall asleep.

The train came in soon, everybody hustled near the doors. The rumbling noises of the people talking increased further inside the coach where the coolie she had paid placed her luggage in its place.

Seated by the window Sunetra closed her eyes and unbeknownst to herself, she fell asleep. She was woken up by a railway personnel offering her breakfast. She realised that it was just a few minutes past eight. After finishing her breakfast, she started researching about the places she could visit in Bolpur.

The train was on time. At forty minutes past one in the afternoon, Sunetra got off the train and walked to the first-class waiting room.

Her next train was at 6:20 P.M. in the afternoon. It was just around five hours so she had decided to not go around and just rest in the first-class waiting room of the Howrah Station. Moreover, the travelling and her lack of sleep the previous night had still left her immensely tired.

So the remaining hours in the Howrah station were spent only resting. She had her lunch in the food court and in the meantime, she had also started to write down in her diary everything that she had learnt about the Odissi dance in her last destination.

She ate a simple plate of fried rice without any sides. She still had some travelling to do and didn’t feel like experimenting with the dishes at that point.

She had finished writing her diary only thirty minutes ago when it was already time for her next train. Luck was on her side as both the trains were on schedule till then. Exactly at 6:20 PM, this train left the Howrah Junction.

For the next one hour and thirty minutes, Sunetra spent her time catching up on social media with her friends. They say when you are with the people you love, time seems to go faster. Maybe it was true because Sunetra didn’t notice when the time passed by.

However, there was this one message on Instagram that caught her attention. It was from a professor of the Visva Bharati University in Shantiniketan. He had seen her last few posts and realised what she is doing and asked her if they could meet so that he could talk to her about the various Bengali Dance forms.

Her excitement had then reached a different peak now. She had even checked the profile and the fact that it seemed genuine added more fuel to it. So she replied to the professor and let him know that she was indeed on her way and asked if they could meet and talk.

The hour and a half went in a jiffy and Sunetra found herself standing in the Bolpur station with her luggage near her feet. She had agreed to visit the man and his family in their house and then he would be taking her to the University.

“Where do you want to go, didi? Let me take you.

“Can you take me to the Shantiniketan Tourist Lodge?”

“Ha didi, I can take you there.”

“How much, bhaiya?”

“Only Rs. 50.”

Sunetra thought it was a fair charge and agreed.

The ride was a short ten minutes journey and by the time Sunetra reached the Tourist Lodge, it was nearly nine. She had simply paid for the room and entered the room given to her.

A whole day of constant travelling had tired her out more than she could imagine. So she freshened up, washed her hand and face, took a shower in hot water and ordered her food before she sat on the chair and leaned back with her eyes closed.

She smelt the food before the knock on her door sounded. Her stomach grumbled and she hurried as much as she could to open the door.

Dinner was simple. She had ordered plain Parantha and Mutton Kosha. After feeding herself, catching up with her family over the call and checking her social media for the last time that day, she finally decided to get some sleep.

She woke up late the next morning, catching up on all the sleep that she had lost. One look at the clock had her deciding to skip her breakfast as she rushed to take a shower. The time was nearly twelve noon and she was supposed to visit Professor Chakraborty’s house at 1 o’clock. 

Standing outside the stranger’s house, Sunetra took the external décor of the house before she rang the doorbell.

A middle-aged man opened the door and greeted her with a huge smile.

“Hi, Sunetra. It’s a pleasure to finally meet you.”

Sunetra smiled at the middle-aged man and shook his hand, “The pleasure is mine professor.”

Soon, Sunetra found herself shaking hands with the whole Chakraborty family.

She found out that Mr. Sashanko Chakraborty was a man in his mid-forties with a wife and two kids who are studying in Kolkata. They were a jovial couple who were always smiling and laughing… it was almost like happiness was in the air.

“I had really not found much information on the Bengali dance forms so I was curious about what you had to tell me.”

“Ah yes,” Mr. Chakraborty chuckled but didn’t elaborate. He pointed towards a chair and sat down only after she had taken the seat. “So how many places have you visited till now?”

“Well, I started with Kerala, then went to Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Orissa, and am finally here in Bengal.”

“Sounds fantastic! So you have mostly covered all the classical dance forms till now.” Sunetra nodded, letting him continue, “The Bengali Folk dances then will be a good change from all the classical dance forms.”

“How long have you been teaching here?” Sunetra asked. She was eager to know more.

Mr. Chakraborty told her how he had spent the last fifteen years of his life as a professor of literature at the Visva-Bharati University. After a little more chitchat, Mr. Chakraborty told her that he would tell her the dance stories only after they were done with lunch.

When she had agreed to lunch, she hadn’t thought that so much food will be involved. Glad that she hadn’t had breakfast that morning, she asked Mrs. Chakraborty what the dishes are.

She smiled at her and started pointing towards the different bowls that surrounded the plate filled with white rice as she explained the dishes.

“So you will start with Shukto, which is just a concoction of different vegetables cooked together. Then you will have daal with fried potato, gourd, and eggplant. After this, there are two types of fishes, Doi Pona that is a typical Bengali fish curry, Chingrir Malaikari, i.e. prawn. You will then finish this off with Chutney and Mishti Doi.”

“That’s a lot of food but it looks so tasty,” Sunetra laughed, not knowing if she will be able to finish it but ready to try her best.

As they continued with their lunch, the conversation moved to the topic that Sunetra couldn’t wait for.

It turns out that Mrs. Chakraborty used to be a dance teacher before she retired for her health issues.

As the couple narrated, Sunetra learnt that there are several kinds of Bengali Folk Dance that the rest of India knows very little about. They started listing down the various dance forms.

The first one they brought up was the dance form called Baul Dance. As the story goes, during the medieval period, the people of different religion lived clustered together which led to a protest initially, and later took the form of a cult. The protestors wore Alkhalla (a saffron cloak) and a turban of the same colour on their head, and their foreheads are often adorned with ‘tikas’. These people carry an ‘Ektara’ (a musical instrument with a single string) and also have some bells tied to a string that they tie to their feet while dancing.

Despite the time that has passed, these people still survive by dancing and making their own music. They have even made several of their own musical instruments like the Dotara, Premjuri, Khamak, Kartal, Gupi Jantra and Dubki.

These dancers, also known as Bauls, have a wandering soul and choose not to bind themselves in society. They like to travel from place to place and the alms that they receive are the only money with which they continue living. These people follow a mystical ideology and their songs carry the messages of peace and brotherhood. The meaning of Baul is “mad”; it symbolises the love for the infinite self. Through the songs, the singers talk about the simple means of spiritual upliftment and the transience of our mundane existence. Their philosophical theories are based on the deeper complex psychological consciousness. There are also several stories about these people’s roles in the freedom struggle of India as their songs were written with the aim to stir up nationalism among the hearers.

The next one was spoken about by Mrs. Chakraborty and she decided to talk about the Chhau dance that has emerged from the Purulia District. It is an extremely colourful art form and has emerged as a form of Martial practice. It was initially just a form of dance-drama which focused on the two Indian epics.

The original time of this dance form is not known for certain, however, it does go back at least over a century. Chhau was patronised by the landlords and the royals of the time; it was sustained by several communities like Kurmi, Mahato, Bhumija, Dom and Deowa.

The Chhau dance is a very crucial part of the Gajan Festival, where the glories of Lord Shiva are celebrated. Currently, the dance isn’t just restricted to one festival. The musical instruments accompanying this dance include Dhamsa, Shanai, and Dhol.

The dance begins after the dancers invocate Lord Ganesha. It is with the movements of the dances that the dancers tell the stories. As in our epics, the dances usually show a fight between the good and the evil, where the good prevails in the end.

The dancers are made to wear headgears as well as ornamental apparels. The acrobatic movements of the dancers that come with power and immense concentration, along with these masks and headgears form the characterization of the Chhau Dance. It also maintains an air of excitement among the audience. It is the masks that set apart the different characters in this dance-drama, be it the Gods, Goddesses, Evil, Lion, or other animals too.

Over the years with evolution, the dance has also grown along with the musical instruments, stage, lighting and many more. Since the faces are covered, it becomes the responsibility of the body movements to do the work of expressions. Chhau Dance can also be seen in Mahisasur Mardini, a play where Goddess Durga oppresses the tyranny of the Mahisasura by slaying him in a fierce battle.

The Santhali Dance, another folk dance of Bengal, is mostly seen in the districts of Malda, Bakura, Birbhum and Bardhaman. Madol, Dhamsa, Flute, Kartal, Shenai, and Jhanj are the musical instruments that are used here. The dance depends a lot on the unity of movement of the dancers and is danced to celebrate certain rituals. Mostly it is the women who take part in the dance and the men play the musical instruments.

The language and theme of the songs they dance to are two of the most endearing factors of the Santhal Dance. Currently, the men also take part in the dances. The dance form reflects the rural beauty of Bengal and is a great representation of the folk culture.

Sunetra was mesmerised. Till now, she had visited each place and learned about a single dance form. She had no idea that this single place had so many varieties of folk dances. She listened with utmost attention while simultaneously trying to pick out the bones from the fish she was eating.

The fourth dance form that the couple talked about is the Raibense Dance, performed mostly by a group of male dancers, which is a representation of the Bratachari tradition of Bengal. It is an ancient dance form that originated in Bengal and is a reminder of the expertise of the Bengalese in the military field. The word ‘Rai’ means kingly and royal and the word ‘Bense’ comes from ‘bansh’ or bamboo. This dance form consists of the men dancing with bamboo sticks and props and imitating fighting and acrobatics so as to display their control over the art. Seeing this dance form will give the audience an idea about the valour of the ancient people of Bengal. The Kanshi and Dhol are the only instruments used in this dance form. The clanging sound of the Kanshi and the rhythmic beat of the Dhol can generate a sense of courage in the heart of the dancers. The costume is a simple dhoti stripped with red clothing that signifies valour. It was modified to its present form by an ICS, Shri Gurusaday Dutta.

“That…” Sunetra stuttered, “I had no idea about these dance forms at all. I had heard about the Baul dance but these…”

The couple smiled gently, “There is so much still unknown about these places, so much that didn’t get the recognition that they deserved.”

“If you won’t mind, I will love to mention you and these stories in my blogs,” Sunetra smiled at them gleefully, “Along with this food too, this tastes amazing!”

Every one of them chuckled and got up to wash their hands. Mrs. Chakraborty then brought to the sitting room a few small cups made of clay which here filled to the brim with Mishti Doi.

“There’s nothing like Matir Bhar e Mishti Doi to finish off your lunch with.” She had said as she handed one of the cups and a spoon to her.

Her eyes closed in delight as she tasted the dessert.

The couple watched her with pride and a gentle smile and they approached yet another dance form that they thought she would like.

The next dance form they touched on is the Gambhira Dance form of the Malda District. The word “Gambhira” means the House of God and is a festival related to Lord Shiva, where the dancers use this dance form to pay their respects to the Lord. It is a popular dance form and is related to mythology and agriculture. Depending on the theme, the dancers can wear colourful masks that represent the Gods and Goddesses. They dance to the beat of the dhaks.

Bhadu is another Dance form found in Bengal. It has originated in the districts of Purulia, Bankura, Bardhaman, and Birbhum. It is usually performed in the Bengali month ‘Bhadra’ which is during the rainy season and is performed to invoke the blessings of Goddess Bhadreshwari to grant them a good harvest. She was initially a princess who was later given the status of a cult figure.

They touched on a lot of dances at the end. Some of them being the Dhak Dance (dancing to the rhythmic beat of the Dhak that captures the hearts of everyone) during Durga Puja, Laghur Nritya or Stick Dance (another form of martial arts displayed through dance moves and using a stick as a prop), Ranapa Dance (the dancers walk and dance on stilts), Dhali and Paika Nritya (these are heroic dance forms and showcase prowess and valour of the people), and Kirtan Dance (this is a dance performed to spiritual folk songs and it was brought into national character by the spiritual leader Shri Chaitanya Dev).

Some of the dance forms that belong solely to the North Bengal community are – Chaibari Nritya (dancers were intricate costumes and jewellery and dance with the tea gardens as the backdrop, adding charm to their dance), and Kukri Nritya (it is performed by the girls of the community as they hand over their weapon, called Kukri, to their brothers before they go to war).

“Well, these are most of the major dance forms that you can find in our state.”

“That is much more than I expected, I never knew there were so many different dance forms here.”

“A lot of people don’t know about it,” they smiled, “We are glad we could tell you. Hopefully from your blog, a lot more people will learn about these.”

“Oh, I really hope so. That is what I am aiming for.”

After that, the couple took her with them to the Visva Bharati University, however, they got to know that the university was closed for visitors that day.

Seeing her crestfallen face, they decided to take her on a tour of their little city. They visited the Rabindra Bhavan, Srijani Silpogram, the Kankalitala Temple, and Tanzil. In the end, she had regained her excitement and smile by the time they parted ways and she headed towards the Shantiniketan Tourist Lodge.

— by Srishti Bhattacharyya

Dear Reader, Hope you liked the post. If you think our initiative “The Creative Post” is worth supporting, then please support us by paying the amount you think we are worthy of. We believe, the value of content should be decided by the consumer. Hence we request you to evaluate our worth and pay accordingly by Clicking Here.