Bahurupi is a marginalized living tradition of West Bengal:
Volume-XIII, Issue-III, April 2025
Volume-XIII, Issue-III, April 2025 |
Received: 01.04.2025 | Accepted: 17.04.2025 | Published Online: 30.04.2025 | Page No: 156-161 | ||||
Bahurupi is a marginalized living tradition of West Bengal: A critical analysis from a theoretical perspective Dr. Rakesh Kaibartya, Gurupally West, Santiniketan, West Bengal, India | ||
ABSTRACT | ||
Bahurupi is a folk-art form of Bengal. It has counteracted the ravages of time and has retained its entity. In Bengal, it has been a popular art form, a mode of entertain for the rural audience primarily in Murshidabad and Birbhum districts. Saratchandra Chattopadhyay (1876-1938) depicts the character of ‘Sreenath Bahurupi’ in his novel Srikanta (1917-1933). In the Puranic as well as Medieval period, these performers entertained the people belonging to the upper class like the King and Badshahs. Later on, this mode of entertainment became a mode of sustenance, to be more specufic, a viable profession for a particular group of people. The form itself enabled these performers to engage with and subsequently transform into different characters (like ‘Rama’, ‘Ravana’, ‘Putna Rakshasi’, ‘shiva’, ‘Durga’, ‘Krishna’, ‘Kali’, ‘Krishna-Kali’, ‘Hara-Parbati’ etc. of Purana) easily.They go door to door in the villages for showing their performance, asking for alms or object in lieu of their performances. They use various kinds of costumes and make up to portray a particular character which has a legacy in the particular system. They communicate through the mode of spoken words (like ‘Chara’, ‘Panchali’, ‘Kabita’, ‘Probad’ and songs). Through their artistic skills they win the heart of the audience instantly. Thus, they are able to establish the connection between the audiences instantly. In spite of their traditional skills the creative artist earns meagre amount. More or less, they belong to the lower-class communities (Bajikar. Das Bairagya, Mahanta etc). One needs to look at this caste identity and the ‘performing body' critically from our position.These marginalized artists are keenly trying to save this kind of living tradition of Bengal. In spite of their skills, they are in a deplorable condition.These ‘text’/Events’ are continuously engaging in the process of history mmaking Thus we can study another dimension or alternative historiography which challenges /questions the notion of so called ‘centre’. I would like to present the performance as a ‘text’ which would contest our general understanding of the centre, margin/ periphery. | ||
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