Literature The Bengali language boasts a rich literary heritage it shares with neighbouring Bangladesh. West Bengal has a long tradition of folk literature, evidenced by the
Charyapada, a collection of Buddhist mystic songs dating back to the 10th and 11thcenturies;
Mangalkavya, a collection of Hindu narrative poetry composed around the 13thcentury;
Shreekrishna Kirtana, a pastoral
Vaishnava drama in verse composed by
Boru Chandidas;
Thakurmar Jhuli, a collection of Bengali folk and fairy tales compiled by
Dakshinaranjan Mitra Majumder; and stories of
Gopal Bhar, a court
jester in medieval Bengal. In the 19th and 20thcenturies, Bengali literature was modernised in the works of authors such as
Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay, whose works marked a departure from the traditional verse-oriented writings prevalent in that period;
Michael Madhusudan Dutt, a pioneer in
Bengali drama who introduced the use of
blank verse; and
Rabindranath Tagore, who reshaped
Bengali literature and
music.
Indian art saw the introduction of
Contextual Modernism in the late 19th and early 20thcenturies. Other notable figures include
Kazi Nazrul Islam, whose compositions form the
avant-garde genre of
Nazrul Sangeet,
Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay, whose works on contemporary social practices in Bengal are widely acclaimed, and
Manik Bandyopadhyay, who is considered one of the leading lights of modern Bengali fiction. In modern times,
Jibanananda Das has been acknowledged as "the premier poet of the post-Tagore era in India". Other writers include:
Bibhutibhushan Bandopadhyay, best known for his work
Pather Panchali;
Tarashankar Bandopadhyay, well known for his portrayal of the lower strata of society;
Manik Bandopadhyay, a pioneering novelist; and
Ashapurna Devi,
Shirshendu Mukhopadhyay,
Saradindu Bandopadhyay,
Buddhadeb Guha,
Mahashweta Devi,
Samaresh Majumdar,
Sanjeev Chattopadhyay,
Shakti Chattopadhyay,
Buddhadeb Basu,
Joy Goswami and
Sunil Gangopadhyay.
Music and dance A notable music tradition is the Baul music, practised by the
Bauls, a sect of mystic
minstrels. Other folk music forms include
Gombhira and
Bhawaiya. Folk music in West Bengal is often accompanied by the
ektara, a one-stringed instrument.
Shyama Sangeet is a genre of devotional songs, praising the Hindu goddess
Kali;
kirtan is devotional group songs dedicated to the god
Krishna. Like other states in northern India, West Bengal also has a heritage in
North Indian classical music.
Rabindrasangeet, songs composed and set to words by Rabindranath Tagore, and
Nazrul geeti (by Kazi Nazrul Islam) are popular. Also prominent are
Dwijendralal,
Atulprasad and
Rajanikanta's songs, and
adhunik or modern music from films and other composers. From the early 1990s,
new genres of music have emerged, including what has been called Bengali
Jeebonmukhi Gaan (a modern genre based on realism). Bengali dance forms draw from folk traditions, especially those of the tribal groups, as well as the broader
Indian dance traditions.
Chhau dance of Purulia is a rare form of masked dance.
Films West Bengali films are shot mostly in studios in the Kolkata neighbourhood of
Tollygunge; the name "Tollywood" (similar to Hollywood and
Bollywood) is derived from that name. The Bengali film industry is well known for its
art films, and has produced acclaimed directors like
Satyajit Ray who is widely regarded as one of the greatest filmmakers of the 20th century,
Mrinal Sen whose films were known for their artistic depiction of social reality,
Tapan Sinha, and
Ritwik Ghatak. Some contemporary directors include veterans such as:
Buddhadeb Dasgupta,
Tarun Majumdar,
Goutam Ghose,
Aparna Sen, and
Rituparno Ghosh, and a newer pool of directors such as
Kaushik Ganguly and
Srijit Mukherji.
Uttam Kumar was the most popular lead actor for decades, and his romantic pairing with actress
Suchitra Sen in films attained legendary status.
Soumitra Chatterjee, who acted in many Satyajit Ray-films, and
Prosenjit Chatterjee are among other popular lead male actors. , 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.
Fine arts in Bishnupur, one of the older examples of the terracotta arts of India. There are significant examples of fine arts in Bengal from earlier times, including the terracotta art of Hindu temples and the Kalighat paintings. Bengal has been in the vanguard of modernism in fine arts.
Abanindranath Tagore, called the father of modern Indian art, started the Bengal School of Art, one of whose goals was to promote the development of styles of art outside the European realist tradition that had been taught in art colleges under the British colonial administration. The movement had many adherents, including:
Gaganendranath Tagore,
Ramkinkar Baij,
Jamini Roy and Rabindranath Tagore. After Indian Independence, important groups such as the
Calcutta Group and the Society of Contemporary Artists were formed in Bengal and came to dominate the art scene in India.
Reformist heritage The capital, Kolkata, was the workplace of several social reformers, including
Raja Ram Mohan Roy,
Iswar Chandra Vidyasagar and
Swami Vivekananda. Their social reforms eventually led to a cultural atmosphere that made it possible for practices like
sati,
dowry, and
caste-based discrimination, or
untouchability, to be abolished. The region was also home to several religious teachers, such as
Chaitanya,
Ramakrishna,
Prabhupada and
Paramahansa Yogananda. Bengal's vast repertoire of fish-based dishes includes
hilsa preparations, a favourite among Bengalis. There are numerous ways of cooking fish depending on its texture, size, fat content and bones. Most of the people also consume eggs, chicken, mutton, and shrimp.
Panta bhat (rice soaked overnight in water) with onion and green chili is a traditional dish consumed in rural areas. Common spices found in a Bengali kitchen include
cumin, ajmoda (radhuni),
bay leaf,
mustard,
ginger,
green chillies and
turmeric. Sweets occupy an important place in the diet of Bengalis and at their social ceremonies. Bengalis make distinctive
sweetmeats from milk products, including
Rôshogolla,
Chômchôm,
Kalojam and several kinds of
sondesh.
Pitha, a kind of sweet cake, bread, or dim sum, are specialties of the winter season. Sweets such as
narkol-naru,
til-naru,
moa and
payesh are prepared during festivals such as
Lakshmi puja. Popular
street foods include Aloor Chop,
Beguni,
Kati roll,
biryani, and
phuchka.
Clothing Sari of Bangladesh is very popular in West Bengal. Bengali women commonly wear the
sari, often distinctly designed according to local cultural customs. In urban areas, many women and men wear western attire. Among men, western dress has greater acceptance. Particularly on cultural occasions, men also wear traditional costumes such as the
panjabi with
dhuti while women wear
salwar kameez or
sari. West Bengal produces several varieties of cotton and silk
saris in the country. Handlooms are a popular way for the state's rural population to earn a living through weaving. Every district has weaving clusters, which are home to artisan communities, each specialising in specific varieties of handloom weaving. Notable handloom saris include
tant,
jamdani,
garad,
korial,
baluchari,
tussar and muslin.
Festivals Durga Puja is the biggest, most popular and widely celebrated festival in West Bengal. The five-day-long colourful Hindu festival includes intense celebration across the state.
Pandals are erected in various cities, towns, and villages throughout West Bengal. The city of Kolkata transforms Durga Puja. It is decked up in lighting decorations and thousands of colourful pandals are set up where effigies of the goddess Durga and her four children are displayed and worshipped. The idols of the goddess are brought in from
Kumortuli, where idol-makers work throughout the year fashioning clay models of the goddess. Since independence in 1947, Durga Puja has slowly changed into more of a glamorous carnival than a religious festival. Today people of diverse religious and ethnic backgrounds partake in the festivities. On
Vijayadashami, the last day of the festival, the effigies are paraded through the streets with riotous pageantry before being immersed into the rivers.
Rath Yatra is a Hindu festival which celebrates
Jagannath, a form of Krishna. It is celebrated with much fanfare in Kolkata as well as in rural Bengal. Images of Jagannath are set upon a chariot and pulled through the streets. Other major festivals of West Bengal include:
Poila Baishakh the Bengali new year,
Dolyatra or
Holi the festival of lights,
Poush Parbon,
Kali Puja,
Nabadwip Shakta Rash,
Saraswati Puja,
Deepavali,
Lakshmi Puja,
Janmashtami,
Jagaddhatri Puja,
Vishwakarma Puja,
Bhai Phonta,
Rakhi Bandhan,
Kalpataru Day,
Shivratri,
Ganesh Chathurthi, Maghotsav,
Karam festival,
Kartik Puja,
Akshay Tritiya, Raas Yatra,
Guru Purnima,
Annapurna Puja,
Charak Puja,
Gajan,
Buddha Purnima,
Christmas,
Eid ul-Fitr,
Eid ul-Adha and
Muharram.
Rabindra Jayanti,
Kolkata Book Fair,
Kolkata Film Festival, and Nazrul Jayanti. All are important cultural events. Christmas, called
Bôŗodin (Great day) is perhaps the next major festival celebrated in Kolkata, after Durga Puja. Although Hinduism is the major religion in the state, people show significant passion to the festival. Just like Durga Puja, Christmas in Kolkata is an occasion when all communities and people of every religion take part. Large masses of people go to parks, gardens, museums, parties, fairs, churches and other places to celebrate the day. A lot of Hindus go to Hindu-temples and the festival is celebrated there too with Hindu rituals. The state tourism department organises a gala Christmas Festival every year in
Park Street. The whole of Park Street is hung with colourful lights, and food stalls sell cakes, chocolates, Chinese cuisine, momo, and various other items. The state invites musical groups from Darjeeling and other
North East India states to perform choir recitals, carols, and jazz numbers.
Buddha Purnima, which marks the birth of Gautama Buddha, is one of the most important Hindu/Buddhist festivals and is celebrated with much gusto in the Darjeeling hills. On this day, processions begin at the various Buddhist monasteries, or
gumpas, and congregate at the
Chowrasta (Darjeeling) Mall. The Lamas chant mantras and sound their bugles, and students, as well as people from every community, carry the holy books or
pustaks on their heads. Besides Buddha Purnima,
Dashain, or
Dusshera, Holi, Diwali,
Losar, Namsoong or the Lepcha New Year, and Losoong are the other major festivals of the Darjeeling Himalayan region. Each year between July and August at
Tarakeswar Yatra held, nearly 10 million devotees come from various part of India bringing holy water of Ganga fin order to offer it to
Lord Shiva. Poush Mela is a popular winter festival of
Shantiniketan, with performances of folk music, Baul songs, dance, and theatre taking place throughout the town. Ganga Sagar Mela coincides with the
Makar Sankranti, and hundreds of thousands of Hindu pilgrims converge where the river Ganges meets the sea to bathe enmasse during this fervent festival. == Education ==