International Journal of Trend in Scientific Research and Development (IJTSRD)

Volume 6 Issue 7, November-December 2022 Available Online: www.ijtsrd.com e-ISSN: 2456 – 6470

Understanding of Folk Literature with

Reference to Bandna Parab and Vadu Parab
Mr. Sudipta Mahato1, Prof.(Dr.) Ujjwal Kumar Panda2, Prof.(Dr.) Samirranjan Adhikari3
1
Research Scholar, Department of Education, Seacom Skills University, Kendradangal, West Bengal, India
2
Professor, Retired Principal of Sponsored Teachers Training College, Puruliya, West Bengal, India
3
Professor, Department of Education, Sidho-Kanho-Birsha University, Purulia, West Bengal, India

ABSTRACT How to cite this paper: Mr. Sudipta

Bengal has long served as India's folk culture's adobe. Folk culture, Mahato | Prof.(Dr.) Ujjwal Kumar Panda
which includes a variety of music, dance, theatre, and painting, is | Prof.(Dr.) Samirranjan Adhikari
representative of West Bengal's rural heritage. Folk refers to the "lok" "Understanding of Folk Literature with
or "people in general" as far as folk culture is concerned. Reference to Bandna Parab and Vadu
Parab" Published in
Consequently, the ignorant common people of rural Bengal are the
International
ones who generate, preserve, and foster folk culture. The roots of folk Journal of Trend in
culture may be found in a wide range of human emotions, including Scientific Research
those related to religion, holidays, education, health, emotion, love, and Development
marriage, and loneliness. Unfortunately, as time has gone on, (ijtsrd), ISSN:
urbanization, globalization, and westernization have increased, 2456-6470, IJTSRD52411
posing a significant threat to Bengali traditional culture today. The Volume-6 | Issue-7,
current study has been conducted to explore the Folk music’s of west December 2022, pp.657-660, URL:
Bengal, to study the folk dances of West Bengal and to study the www.ijtsrd.com/papers/ijtsrd52411.pdf
relevance of Bandna Parab and Vadu Parab.
Copyright © 2022 by author (s) and
KEYWORDS: Folk Culture, Vadu Parab, Bandna Parab, Developed, International Journal of Trend in
Maintained and Nurtured Scientific Research and Development
Journal. This is an
Open Access article
distributed under the
terms of the Creative Commons
Attribution License (CC BY 4.0)
(http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0)

INTRODUCTION
Folk culture often refers to a way of life that is rural community's institutions, traditions, skills,
practised by a small, homogenous rural population clothes, and way of life.
that lives relatively apart from other communities. It
It might be considered that this traditional culture can
highlights the value of tradition above innovation and
be perpetuated by providing assistance to the rural
connects to a sense of place-based community. When
Bengali people, who are lovely at heart, agricultural
aspects of a folk culture are reproduced or transported
in their economic system, and rustic in their cultural
to a foreign country, they retain significant ties to the
practises. They have been engaging in these artistic
original location where they were first developed
endeavours in tandem with sporadic labour in the
(Wikipedia, May'2012). West Bengali dances and
agriculture sector and other endeavours.. They may
music are renowned for their beauty and fervour
not be thoroughly professional artists, but do not keep
around the world. Folk culture emerges as a
the stones unturned to hold on their folk culture
consequence of specific physical, social, and
legacy active. However, it has also been observed that
economic traits that a group of people encounters (M.
reason behind is, that rural Bengal is influenced by
Hussain, 2012). The concept of culture region is a
material science & technology culture along with
helpful beginning point for the study of traditional
western cultural influences. On the other hand,
living patterns in many regions of the world since
various govt. & non-govt. organizations, print and
folk culture exhibits significant variances from folk
electronic media has been making careful efforts to
place to place (J, Sen 2005). Folk culture has been
sustain folk culture, as it also plays a major role in
incorporated into tourism-related products. It may be
showcasing the Cultural Tourism which forms the
characterised as the collective legacy of a tightly knit

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 International Journal of Trend in Scientific Research and Development @ www.ijtsrd.com eISSN: 2456-6470
epitome of West Bengal. Economic globalization, Jhumur – It is generally sung by the tribal people. Its
which made life more comfortable, has taken out the geographical extension can be drawn from greater
nativity smell from the so called rural Bengal. Chhotanagpur to Deccan plateau in the south.
Statement of the Problem: ―Loko Sanskritiǁ or Folk Specially, Purulia exercise this musical form
culture of Bengal is a difficult and complex subject to extensively. The song has universal character - Radha
write due to its wide range of different subjects of & Krishna. The episodes of Ramayana &
diverse nature sometimes absolutely not related to Mahabharata are also introduced in their songs. Thus,
each other like anthropology, psychology etc. which Jhumur is also known as Ramlila jhumur & Bharatlila
encompasses a variety of features like myths and jhumur.
mythologies, religion and magic, customs and Popular folk dances:-
traditions, fairs and festivals, oral literature, music Jhapan dance – performed to seek the blessing of
and art. Folk culture refers to a culture traditionally God so that wishes for children are fulfilled. It is also
practiced by a small, homogeneous, rural group living prepared after recovery from smallpox & chicken
in relative isolation from other groups. Therefore the pox.
researcher has stated his problem as “Understanding
Gambhira dance – devotional folk dance performed
of Folk Literature with Reference to Bandna Parab
during chalak festival in March-April & popular in
and Vadu Parab”
North Bengal. It is a solo performance & participants
Objective: The study has been undertaken with the wear a mask while performing.
following objectives-
Tusu Dance – tribal folk dance of Bhirbhum district.
To study the popular folk music of West Bengal
It is performed in the month of December/January,
To study the Popular folk dances of West Bengal
where girls worship the idol of Goddess Tusu to get a
To study the folk culture with reference to
good groom.
Bandna Parab and Vadu Parab
Santhal Dance – a tribal folk dance that showcases
Popular Folk Music:- immense vibrancy & cheerfulness. Both men &
Baul - The Baul tradition is a unique heritage of
women of Santhali tribe perform to celebrate spring
Bengali folk music that has been influenced by
festival.
regional folk music of Bengal that includes –
Gombhira, Bhawaiya, Kirtans, Gajan festival music. Lathi dance - performed to express different
Folk music is often accompanied by a one-stringed situations of human life like – remorse, celebration,
instrument – the ektara. This form of music was anger, pain or love, usually in the first 10 days of
developed by a group of mystic minstrels from Muslim festival of Muharram.
Bengal who were considered to be a syncretism group Bandna Parab
with music in their blood. In 2005, they were declared It impossible to trace the root of Bandna Parab, but
as the “Masterpiece of the Oral & intangible Heritage the academicians are agreed that it is too ancient. It
of Humanity” by UNESCO. This music is considered started before the intrusion of Aryans. Later the Arya
to be the medium of interaction with an Almighty as people continued this tradition in imitation of the
similar to Sufi. mainlanders. Years ago God creates man. It is Lord
Bhawaiya – It is a musical form which is popular in Shiva who is regarded as the kindest and easily
Coochbihar, Jalpaiguri & North Dinajpur in West pleasurable. According to mythology from the
Bengal. This type of song is sung by the Coacharan, beginning of civilization Lord Shiva takes the
& sung while driving their cow drawn cart. The responsibility of men and he provides food for them.
singers are known as ‘bandia’. The songs depict But with the passage of time, the population increases
sorrow, pain, love, separation & even natural and he expresses his inability to provide food for
calamities. everyone. So, he proposes to start agriculture for men.
Lord Shiva provides them crops for agriculture. At
Bhadu & Tusu - Bhadu songs mean songs of the
this time men used to produce crops by their own
month of Bhadra, which are sung during the rainy
effort. But soon they find it too hard. So they request
season. They are sung by unmarried girls. Tusu is a
Lord Shiva to find another alternative way. Then
fork ritual in the district of Purulia, observed by the
Lord Shiva provides them a group of cattle for
woman folk during the Bengali month of Paus after
cultivation on one condition that they would take care
harvesting is over. Tusu – is an unorthodox harvest
of them. They would not torture them.
goddess. This is the most important regional festival
of the Bankura, Bardhaman, Murshidabad, Birbhum In the beginning, the relation between man and cattle
& Purulia district. was good. But with the passage of time, it gradually

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became worse. Soon it reached the zenith. The man deity in her look. Her beauty and sill became the
used to beat when the cattle failed to fulfill the reason for King’s disappointment as he found it too
expectation of man. The cattle find no way but to hard to find a suitable groom for her beloved
raise complain to Lord Shiva to save their skin from daughter. The King failed to arrange her marriage.
the hand of man. Lord Shiva after knowing this So, she died as a damsel. The king to console him as
became disappointed and decided to pay a visit to the well as the commoners of his kingdom started ‘Vadu
earth on the new moon in the month of Kartik. Narad Parab’. They celebrated this only to keep her alive
muni, the singer of heaven informed this news to the through their culture. People also believe that ‘Vadu
inhabitants of the earth. Then the man before Parab’ is the celebration of the victory of Panchakot
omabossya (new moon) start washing and cleaning Raj over the Kingdom of Chatna. The time period
their house and cowsheds. They wash the cattle and was the month of ‘Vadra’. To celebrate this historic
the instruments in the pond and river. They smear oil victory the King decided to start ‘Vadu Parab’
and vermilion on their horns. They provide them throughout the month. This story is also controversial
enough food to eat. Man lightens the cowshed as there is no specific year and the name of King in
through earthen lamp and also arranges entertainment the record. Thus, in the kingdom of Panchakot started
for the cattle. The group of ‘ahira’ singers entertains ‘Vadu Parab’. These stories seem to be imaginary but
the cattle throughout the night. these are not completely imaginary. The celebration
of Vadu affects the culture of the kingdom of
Lord Shiva finally arrived and observed everything in
Panchakot now Purulia a lot. It is visible in the
detail. He became pleased after observing the healthy
society of Purulia. Nowadays Vadu no more a deity,
relationship between man and animal. Therefore, the
she becomes a part of the daily life of the people of
complaint against Man proved as false. Next year the
Purulia and moreover, she becomes a member of their
cattle sent the same complaint, the man again as a
family. They celebrate this festival every year in the
clever being followed the same procedure to please
month of Vadra. One example is –
Lord Shiva. Thus, Man saved their skin from the
curse of Rudra. Thus the tradition begins and even ―O my mother, cruel mother,
today People used to celebrate it. You kept me in my husband‘s place
On the occasion of the harvest festival.
Vadu
The stories of Vadu are mainly Kashipur centric. At You don‘t know how I passed my hours of
that time Kashipur was the headquarter of ‘Panchakot sorrow,
Raj’, a royal family that ruled Manbhum. There are ..........................................................
many stories regarding Vadu. But the most acceptable …………………………………………
among them is that Vadu was the adopted daughter of You left me there where I had to undergo
Raja Nilmani Lal Singh Deo. One day during his An ordeal of fire, o my cruel mother.ǁ
reign he went hunting but he found nothing to hunt. Vadu Parab at Present
He became disappointed. During his return to the Even today Vadu Parab is widely celebrated with
palace, he saw a girl alone crying in the forest. He pomp and show. It is mainly woman-centric. Though
went there and asked the girl about her identity. But generally in the festivals of Purulia are both man and
she told nothing. She was too beautiful. Her beauty woman used to play an equal role. Vadu Parab is an
and innocence compelled the King to adopt her. After exception. There is no particular mantra for Vadu
their return to the palace, through a grand ceremony, puja. Women worship Vadu in their way through
the King gave her the name ‘Vadraboti ’. She was too songs that they compose for Vadu. They consider
intelligent and popular among the people of the Vadu as a ‘sokhi’ cum deity. The unmarried girls
Kingdom. But the sudden and premature death of the
used to bring the idol of Vadu on the very first day of
girl made both the king and common folk
Vadra. From the very first day of Vadra to the end of
disappointed. They mourn for the girl for a month. It
the month the unmarried girls and married women
was the time of ‘Vadra’ as per the local calendar.
used to gather together and sing songs. As it is
King Nilmani Lal Singh Deo decided to immortalize
celebrated throughout the month and song is the only
‘Bhadraboti’ so he started to worship her adopted girl
medium to worship Vadu, so there exists many ‘Vadu
throughout the ‘Badra’ (name of a month as per
geet’ (Vadu song). Through these songs, they express
Bengali calendar). The common folks started to
their inner feeling, their desire, and longings.
imitate the King. The ‘Vadu Puja’ started in Purulia.
Everyday used to draw various kinds of ‘alpana’ to
Another opinion regarding the ‘Vadu Parab’ is that decorate the floor where they establish Vadu.
‘Bhadreswari or Bhadraboti’ was the only daughter of
Conclusion: It may be argued that the original rural
King Nilmani Singh Deo. She was not less than a
Bengali people, who are agricultural in economics,

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